Remnants of the Mind
by theirongiant6
Summary: (Discontinued) Jaune Arc. Sixth child of eight Arc children, born into a loving family and forged into a respectful and admirable young man. Diagnosed as a high functioning sociopath at age 14. With his family's support, Jaune will attempt to achieve his dreams of becoming a huntsman despite his antisocial behaviour and find a path for himself among the great.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note here! I'm trying to balance college with this and my other story Beyond the Sunset, so I apologize if updates are irregular and short! Still, I've had the idea for both this and team SNST for a while now, and wanted to try my hand on it when I could!**

 **With this Jaune-centric story, he will not be overly powerful or in a Harem-like setting as many tend to lean towards. His backstory will be different, however, which is something that I hope to get into as the story progresses!**

 **Leave a review, positive or negative, and I'll fix what I can! ^-^**

* * *

 _ **Chapter 1**_

 **Getting Settled**

* * *

"Jaune Arc. Short, sweet, rolls off the tongue - ladies love it!"

Jaune fingerguns his reflection in the mirror of his bathroom, putting on a convincing smile. The morning of his first day at Beacon, and it must go perfectly! Years of training with his irritating father should not be in vain!

Ignoring the laughter from outside his bathroom, likely two of his older sisters listening in and promptly calling him a dork, Jaune looks himself over one last time.

Jeans, hoodie, light armor, ancient huntsman weapon, award-winning smile.

It's all there!

Jaune steps out of the bathroom, his sisters quickly quieting down for him. They've always been obnoxious, but he loves that they can quiet their annoying little mouths around him.

"You had better not use that on the very first girl you meet, Jaune!"

Jaune softly smiles at his older sisters, patting their shoulders.

"No promises."

* * *

This was a terrible idea.

Jaune holds his head in his hands, desperately trying to keep his breakfast from un-eating itself as the ship shifts and shakes. The view is nice, but seeing past watery eyes and ignoring the nausea is very taxing, so he stopped bothering to look out the window half an hour ago, just sitting in a seat alone and hoping no one comes up to him.

Well, he always hopes for that, but _especially_ now.

"Oatmeal seemed like such a good idea too…."

Jaune feels the ship start to slow, and stands up just a bit too quickly, possibly throwing up on some blonde on the way out. It wouldn't be the worst first impression he's ever made. Jaune smiles slightly at a memory involving setting a fire. Good times, good times indeed.

Oh right, his horribly painful stomach, how could he forget.

Jaune launches out of the ship and swiftly makes good friends with a trash can. Hell, it's better company than most people. Smells nicer too. After ridding himself of his food, Jaune wipes his face off and strikes up a friendly conversation with his new friend.

"Sooo… Come here often?"

The trash can doesn't respond. Dust, it's _perfect._

An explosion makes Jaune turn his head away from his friend for a moment. From the looks of it, a snob, goth, and emo are all yelling at each other. Honestly, he expected worse, given that they're all pretty girls. Girls are so much nicer to talk to than boys, since they always assume you're into them and thus leave you alone.

 _"Make friends while you're there Jaune."_

 _"You've gotta try to get out more, bro. I know you don't really like doing that but if you wanna be a huntsman you're going to have a team, at least at Beacon…"_

 _"My boy, school is school. Social shit is just one aspect of it, and you're going to have to do it, no matter how much you want to hurt them."_

 _"They say teams can be like a second family, you know, and you like us, right…?"_

Jaune sighs. His mother's going to call in a few days, and he'd rather not have her nagging about having no friends again. Deciding to make his very first friend outside of direct family, he strolls over to the depressed little goth girl sprawled out in the middle of the path.

"Hey," he starts, squinting when he realizes that his stupid introduction would just be a waste of time. "I'm, uh, Jaune."

Since he never bothered to hold his hand out, the girl awkwardly scrambles to her feet and giggles to herself. Awkwardly. "Ruby… Aren't you the guy that threw up on the ship?"

"Possibly."

"Ah! O-okay!"

Jaune rubs the back of his head, frowning and starting to walk with Ruby. "Well, Ruby, I'm not the best at talking to people, so, uh, what do we do from here?"

Ruby gasps, flailing her arms. "I'm not good at talking either! So, um, I don't know actually!"

"Oh, that's… good?"

Ruby blushes and nods. "So… Why throw up on the ship?"

"Motion sickness," Jaune replies with a shrug. "That and to get people to avoid me."

"You want people to avoid you? Why?"

"Well, I'm just not very good with people, y'know? Plus they talk a lot, and usually get way too touchy, and are so emotional."

Ruby visibly shrinks, frowning a little. Jaune doesn't notice, or doesn't care, but continues anyway. "You don't seem too bad though. Smell better than most, look cute, uh…. Nice voice, I guess?"

Ruby's face gets a bit red out of both embarrassment and the… strange compliments. "Thanks, I think!"

"Yeah, well throwing up isn't that big of a deal. If you threw up on the ship I wouldn't really care, right?"

"Right!"

"All I'm saying is that motion sickness is a much more common problem than people let on!"

 **"** Look, I'm sorry! Vomit Boy was the first thing that came to mind."

"Oh, yeah? What if I called you Crater Face?"

"Hey, that explosion was an accident!"

Jaune sighs and dismisses Ruby with a small wave of his hand, shaking his head jokingly. A silence of immensely awkward proportions follows as the two walk through Beacon.

"So... I got this thing!" Ruby takes out a massive red weapon, and Jaune's eyes widen.

"Whoa! Is that a scythe?"

"It's also a customizable high-impact sniper rifle!"

"A, uh, wha…?"

"It's also a gun."

"Ohhhh. That's cool!"

"What've you got, Jaune?"

Jaune smiles again, taking out Crocea Mors' blade and holding it in both hands. Ruby 'oooohs' and 'ahhhhhs' make him awkwardly fumble the blade, trying not to trip over his own feet.

"What does it do?"

"Huh? It's, uh, a hand-me-down sort of. From the Great War. In other words, not also a gun."

"Yeah, I'm kind of a dork with weapons so I did go a little overboard designing it."

"Right, lots of huntresses make their own weapons early on, right?"

"Right! Nobody appreciates the classics anymore though, I'm glad you do!"

"Yeah… Truthfully, I'd love to make my own someday, but I don't have the Lien for that and Beacon."

Ruby puts away her scythe and nods silently as they continue to walk.

"So," she says, looking around. "Where are we going?"

"I thought I was following you?"

"W-well, about that, I may have been following you."

"…Huh."

* * *

"So, this is the auditorium?"

Jaune looks around the large room with impressed nods, while Ruby waves to someone then turns to him.

"Oh, hey, I gotta go! I'll see you after the ceremony!"

Jaune is about to stop her when she runs off. He sighs.

"Where am I supposed to find another nice, quirky girl to talk to?" he asks sarcastically to nobody in particular. Walking further into the room, Jaune looks up at the ceiling then down at his sheathe, thinking about how long it has taken him to get to this very spot.

He just now realizes how hard his hands are shaking.

Seconds pass as he stares at his shaking hands with a soft frown, before he stuffs his hands into his pockets and begins shuffling over to where he saw Ruby run off to.

"-cute boys, like tall, blond, and scraggly over there!"

A short girl, with hair and outfit white as snow, pointing at Jaune of all people. Was he really cute to her?

He scowls at the thought. No thanks. He is interrupted from walking over, though, when a microphone sounds and he looks to see the headmaster on the stage.

"I'll... keep this brief. You have traveled here today in search of knowledge, to hone your craft and acquire new skills, and when you have finished, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people. But I look amongst you, and all I see is wasted energy, in need of purpose, direction. You assume knowledge will free you of this, but your time at this school will prove that knowledge can only carry you so far. It is up to you to take the first step."

Jaune yawns and rubs his face, ignoring the rest of the speech and going to get dressed. He moves to the changing rooms and looks in his pack, rubbing his face with a sigh. His sisters packed his clothes since he was too lazy and nervous.

So now he's wearing a onesie and being laughed at.

Truly, people are so _pleasant_ , and not wanting to interact with them is obviously _strange_. Truly, a wonderful society he lives in.

Jaune sighs, plopping down on the floor and stretching out. Right next to that emo girl from earlier, who seems to be trying to ignore him and read.

"I like your style."

The girl's eyes don't even leave her book.

"Jaune Arc. A pleasure."

Finally, she glances to him with a glare, nodding to indicate she heard him.

"And you are?"

"Reading."

"Good to know, but I meant your name."

"Blake. May I continue reading now?"

Jaune narrows his eyes, clenching his teeth and attempting not to lash out on the very first day.

"Whatever you say."

Jaune gets up and walks somewhere else. Truly, anywhere else would be nice. Punching a girl in the face on the first day of school has gotten him into trouble before, and was an interesting learning experience, not to be repeated.

He finds a nice spot away from the groups, and falls asleep on the floor.

Another dreamless night.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's notes!  
**

 **I'm so happy to see this taking off so quickly, and I'm thankful for every follow, favorite, and review I get! This chapter is a bit longer than most I will do, but I wanted to get most of the stuff covered in the show over with before I started on the new stuff! Speaking of, so far things have been very similar to the show, but that most definitely won't be the case moving forward. Major events that have Jaune's influence in them will change now that Jaune is stronger, apathetic, and brash.**

 **To those wondering why he isn't more awkward and aggressive, his family is huge and has basically tried to mold him into a polite young boy, which he tries to be when he can.**

* * *

 ** _Chapter 2_**

 **Initiation**

* * *

"It's morning it's morning it's morning it's morninnnggg!"

Jaune awakes with a groan, looking over as the loud girl with orange hair pestering a boy beside her.

That poor, poor boy.

After the noisy girl and her victim leave, Jaune sits up and cracks his neck, then his knuckles. Okay, this is the first day at Beacon. There'll be team assignments at some point, but all Jaune has to worry about is passing initiation first. His father didn't go to Beacon, though, so it's probably just a second written test, or something like that.

Hopefully, at least.

Stretching and standing up, Jaune shambles his way to take a shower and then get dressed in his casual combat gear once more. Fashion is for stuck up idiots and his sisters. Jeans, hoodie, armor, and that's all he needs to be a happy man. Or, well, a less irritated man.

"Wait… locker 636…?"

Jaune sighs as he sets the note down and heads to get breakfast. Eat first, equip after. That makes sense, right? Shaking his head, Jaune fits his chest armor into place and ruffles his hair, smiling at nothing in particular and preparing himself for a horrible day of human interaction. He shivers at the thought.

As he steps into the cafeteria, Jaune gets in line and glowers at the floor. Dust, it's so noisy in this damned room, a pit of gross, loud people. Maybe he could see about hanging out with that trash can from yesterday. Then when he was done with his food, he could just drop it in and leave! Wouldn't it be great if you could just do that with people too?

A man can dream, can't fault him for that!

Jaune grabs some pancakes and finds a table to himself, silently eating and trying to ignore how loud everything is.

"Jaune!"

Said man looks up with a frown, but it lessens as Ruby darts onto a seat near him. Not too close though, which he appreciates. Unfortunately, a tall blonde wrongly assumes the space there is meant for her, and she squeezes in, making Jaune scoot away and pick at his food.

"This is my sister, Yang! Yang, this is Jaune from yesterday!"

Yang looks down at him, due to him slouching in both anger and nervousness. "Vomit Boy?"

Jaune's face remains blank. "You two really don't look alike, for sisters."

Ruby nods with a big grin. "Half-sisters!"

Jaune nods, sitting up a bit straighter. "Let me guess, dad slept around?"

Yang raises an eyebrow and frowns at him. "Got something to say, Vomit Boy?"

"No, just, like, 99% of the time it's the dad that sleeps around. Just kinda figured. Also, my name is Jaune."

"Yaaaaang, be niiiiiiice," Ruby begs, pulling on Yang's arm as she glares at the rather bored Jaune.

He waves his hand, though, smiling slightly. "It's fine Ruby. I'm reaaaally bad with people, uh, Yang. Your sister said she was too, so I thought it might be easier for us to… be friends, I suppose?"

"You suppose, eh, fancy pants?"

"I thought my name was Vomit Boy."

"Oh, it is, I've just never heard anyone use the word 'suppose' in like… ever."

Ruby slams her hands on the table repeatedly, quite literally begging her sister for attention. "Weiss might!"

"That isn't a good thing, sis."

Ruby sputters and waves her hands around wildly while Jaune chuckles and stands up, having eaten some pancakes.

"I'm going to go find my weapon now, alright? Nice to meet you, Goldilocks."

"You're blond too, Vomit Boy!"

"Yeah but I'd like to see you mauled by Ursai."

Rather than taking offense, Yang just chuckles and punches Jaune in the shoulder. Playful, but enough to bruise for sure. Shaking his head and smirking, he walks away and throws his leftovers in another silent trash comrade.

Walking out of the cafeteria, Jaune checks his scroll for the time. He's still got time before initiation starts, but since he has to find the locker room, then find his locker, then find where initiation actually takes place, he should probably leave now. This place needs a damn map.

Jaune bumps into a tall man while complaining in his head. Jaune remembers what his mother yelled at him to do when he does stuff like this. "Sorry."

Jaune looks at the man he bumped into, a strangely dressed man with green hair and thick glasses. He's holding what seems like coffee.

"It's quite alright! Good to see a student up early, initiative requires initiation or, rather, the opposite!"

"Right…."

Jaune flees at a speed he did not know was possible. That fast speech pattern, it will haunt his nightmares. He crashes into the locker room, gasping for air.

"I know! We'll have some sort of signal! Like a distress signal!"

 _Dear gods above, please no!_ The orange-haired devil gasps.

"A _secret_ signal so we can find each other in the forest! Can you imitate a sloth?"

Jaune goes blank. Nora and Ren. That's their names. He must avoid them at all costs. Jaune looks back down at his note and huffs, looking around the increasingly crowded locker room with intense apprehension. He mutters about not even having to count that high last night while he shambles through the hordes of horrible, horrible people.

In his hurried state, he bumps into a tall, redheaded woman dressed in bronze. He's about to slip away when a certain snob dressed in white points at him ferociously.

"Do you have any manners?"

"Huh? Right, uh, sorry. I'm bad at paying attention."

The redhead turns to meet him, her gorgeous green eyes and smile as bright as the sun doing absolutely nothing to Jaune's irritation.

"Oh, it's fine!" The redhead bows her head softly.

"So… Am I excused now?"

The girl in white's eyes go wide. "Do you even know who we are?!"

"…Should I?"

"I am Weiss Schnee of the Schnee Dust Company and this is Pyrrha! She's won the Mistral Region Tournaments four years in a row! A new record!"

"…The wha?"

Weiss waves her arms in anger, stomping off. "These people know no respect!"

Jaune rubs the back of his head, frowning. He really, really isn't good with people, is he?

Pyrrha taps him on the shoulder, making him turn to look at her. He's quick to remember to apologize, however. "Sorry I didn't know you, or the, uh, tournaments. My dad's a huntsman so I didn't really bother to watch stuff like that."

Pyrrha's genuine grin would melt his heart if it could. "No, no, it's quite alright! What is your name?"

"Oh. Jaune, Jaune Arc."

"It's very nice to meet you Jaune!"

"You too, Pyrrha. Anyway, I need to find my locker, which is, uh…. Somewhere around here. Does this place have a single map?"

Pyrrha giggles softly, shaking her head. "I'm afraid it doesn't. If you tell me the number, I can help you look for it, perhaps."

Jaune grins and quickly nods. Maybe he's not… _terrible_ at making friends? Pyrrha seems nice, if a bit too happy go lucky all the time. "If anyone stops you for any autographs or something I'm leaving."

She puts her hand over her mouth as she quietly giggles again. "Then I'll make sure not to sign any, Jaune."

He nods again and Pyrrha leads the way to locker 636, where Jaune grabs his weapon, just in time for an announcement.

 _"_ _Would all first-year students please report to Beacon Cliff for initiation? Again, all first-year students report to Beacon Cliff immediately."_

"Beacon Cliff? The hell is that!"

"Don't worry Jaune, I can lead you there."

"Thanks, Pyr. You seem pretty good at leading."

Pyrrha's face gets a bit pink for some reason, and she quickly nods, leading Jaune through the crowds of freshmen and to the cliffs. They're actually some of the first students there, which makes standing around beside what Jaune would consider an incredibly beautiful woman quite… awkward. They're told to step onto silver tiles, and Jaune is quick to comply.

Weiss, the she-devil, is off to one side preparing herself. Nora and Ren, the other she-devil and her victim, are chatting to his left. Thankfully the rather quiet Pyrrha is acting as a buffer between himself and the horrible, horrible girls. Jaune looks to the two professors standing ahead of him and waiting for the full group.

"Professor? Why are we at the cliffs?"

"Initiation," the blonde woman replies with a glare.

"I mean yes that was fairly obvious but I meant what're we going to do?"

"We will tell you," she responds with an even harder glare.

"Right now would be preferable. You could always just repeat it to the rest."

"I do not repeat myself."

"Good for you I guess but that still doesn't mean you can't tell me, like, a summary now and then the full shaboozle when everyone is here."

Pyrrha cracks a smile at the word shaboozle, desperately trying not to break out laughing in front of a very intimidating professor. Jaune doesn't seem remotely phased by the glare he's being given.

"Mister Arc, correct?"

"Yup."

"Do not speak again until told."

Jaune raises a brow, and isn't sure whether he's supposed to respond to that. He resorts to waving his hands around and trying to make some kind of sense. Naturally, he's failing, and decides to give up. Thankfully, the angry glare of the blonde professor eventually moves away from him. The other students slowly arrive, including Ruby and Yang.

One professor, the guy in green that had given the speech earlier, steps up and sips from his mug. "For years, you have trained to become warriors, and today, your abilities will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest."

The other professor with the mean glare continues for him. "Now, I'm sure many of you have heard rumors about the assignment of 'teams.' Well, allow us to put an end to your confusion. Each of you will be given teammates... today."

Jaune raises an eyebrow and taps his foot on the silver tile. Well, that's not too bad, the sooner the better. The professor in green speaks up once more. "These teammates will be with you for the rest of your time here at Beacon, so it is in your best interest to be paired with someone with whom you can work well. That being said, the first person you make eye contact with after landing will be your partner for the next four years."

Jaune rubs his temples while Ruby's world shatters. Just great, the very first…

"Wait, landing?"

The professor continues without answering Jaune's question. "After you've partnered up, make your way to the northern end of the forest. You will meet opposition along the way. Do not hesitate to destroy everything in your path... or you _will_ die. You will be monitored and graded through the duration of your initiation, but our instructors will not intervene. You will find an abandoned temple at the end of the path containing several relics. Each pair must choose one and return to the top of the cliff. We will regard that item, as well as your standing, and grade you appropriately. Are there any questions?"

Jaune immediately raises his hand.

"Good. Now, take your positions."

Jaune's eyes go wide as everyone else makes weird poses. "Uh, did I miss the part where we get parachutes?"

"No, you will be falling."

Jaune watches some students down the line go flying off. "Right, right, so we're landing on, like, mattresses or something?"

"No."

"I'm pretty sure there's a phrase abou-"

Jaune is thrown into the air mid-sentence, sighing to himself.

* * *

"C-come on, stupid damn-"

Jaune stops tugging at the spear pinning him to the tree to see Weiss stumble upon him. He shows her his favorite finger, to which she turns around and heads back the way she came. _Heh, nailed it._

"Jaune?"

Jaune looks back down, seeing the nice quiet redhead from before. She smiles at him gently, continuing. "Do you… need a map…?"

"Har har, very funny. Wait, do they give out maps?"

Pyrrha giggles, jumping up and dislodging him from the tree. "So, then, we're partners?"

Jaune nods, rolling his shoulder. "If you were trying to kill me, your aim needs work."

"Oh no no! I just heard you didn't have a landing strategy and figured I could help…"

"That's the thing! Why weren't we told in advance?! How did you and everyone else know about that?!"

Pyrrha frowns as they begin to walk through the forest. "Secondary combat schools taught us."

"See, I didn't go to one!"

Pyrrha's eyes go wide and she blinks at him. "And you were accepted to Beacon?"

"Well, mostly. Still have to pass this, right?"

Pyrrha smiles and nods. Dust, she's… actually being quiet, but politely quiet rather than the emo reading a book last night? Jaune smiles brightly, walking silently through the forest with her. It's a comfortable silence, the two hunters-in-training listening for sounds of Grimm. They both stop, though, when the sounds of gunshots and explosions start in the distance. They look to each other and nod, continuing to walk north. About ten minutes or so of hiking in silence pass before Pyrrha stops ahead of him and holds her hand out, indicating him to stop. Ahead of them is the mouth of a dark cave.

"Think this is it?" he asks, drawing his blade.

"I'm not sure it is… Look at these drawings."

Jaune walks up to the drawings on the side of the cave, depicting armed men fighting Grimm. "Doesn't seem like a _good_ sign, really."

Pyrrha nods at him. "It would be best to avoid for now, but we can remember its location for later."

"Wait, do you have a map?"

"No…"

"Then how are we going to remember its location!"

Pyrrha thinks to herself for a moment before shrugging. Jaune shakes his head and starts walking north again, Pyrrha following close by. This silence is a _biiiiit_ more awkward, but Jaune doesn't care enough about his new partner to make small talk. She's… pretty, and quiet, and professional, and honestly a great partner for him, yes…

"Are you alright?" she asks him. Jaune blinks, realizing he's been staring.

"I'm fine, just thinking."

"About?"

"You."

Pyrrha's cheeks get a bit pink and she quiets down, but continues the hike with him. "…What about me?"

"You seem like the heroic type."

"I suppose I am, Jaune… Thank you."

"That wasn't a compliment."

"Oh?" She stops and turns to him curiously. "What do you mean?"

"You seem like the type to throw yourself in front of a train to save a baby duck is what I mean."

"Ah… Well… I… wouldn't go that far…"

"Wouldn't you? People seem to like small animals for some reason."

Pyrrha frowns and doesn't respond, continuing to walk.

"All I'm saying is I'd rather have a partner than a martyr."

"…Okay, Jaune. Are you not the heroic type?"

"Not at all, really."

"Then… why become a huntsman at all?"

"…That's a good question, honestly. I guess it's kind of like the equivalent of college for me. Like, it's something I've always just thought I'd do because of my family and everything else. Then, after I've trained, I can just… find something I like. Own a coffee shop or something."

"A coffee shop?"

"Well I wouldn't have to worry about robberies, being trained as a huntsman!"

"I… I guess that is… a good dream, Jaune!"

Jaune nods, and the two keep walking.

"Just so you know, Pyr, I'm terrible at talking to people so if my answers make you sad or something just tell me directly."

"O-okay!"

"You stutter a lot."

"I'm sorry."

Jaune rubs the back of his head as they both walk into a clearing, just in time to see Ruby crash headfirst onto the emo, Blake, from earlier. Jaune and Pyrrha rush over to the scene, and Jaune looks to the very confused Yang. "Did your sister just fall from the sky?"

Yang shakes her head, completely confused. "I…"

"YEEEEEEEEEEEEE-HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAW!"

 _DEAR GODS NO_

Nora comes riding in on an Ursa, killing it with her hammer before jumping off and giggling.

Yang shakes her head again, eyes wide. "I…"

Nora looks around for her victim, skipping across the open field. She finds him, when he erupts from the treeline being chased by a massive deathstalker. "Nora!"

"I tolllddddd you that glowy thing was gonna be fun!"

Jaune rubs his temples as Yang starts yelling about everything needing to calm down.

For once, he's on her side.

 _I wonder how that trash can is handling things. I miss it._

* * *

If Jaune could cry easily, he would be a sobbing mess right now as he stands beside his partner and… and…

"Jaune Arc, Lie Ren, Pyrrha Nikos, Nora Valkyrie. The four of you retrieved the white rook pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team Juniper. Led by… Jaune Arc!"

Jaune shakes his head and rubs his temples. "Dear God…."

Pyrrha smiles and shoulder bumps him, to which he sighs and leads his team to sit down and watch the final team form.

"Blake Belladonna, Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, Yang Xiao Long. The four of you retrieved the white knight pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team Ruby. Led by... Ruby Rose!"

Jaune shudders, holding himself. At least he's not on that team.

"I'm so haaaaapppy, Renny!"

Jaune sniffles and puts his head in his hands. _Don't cry, hold it together man._

 _Just… four… more… years…_


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's notes here!**

 **Thank you all so much for the reviews, favorites, and follows! I try my best but please let me know where I need improvement!**

 **I've been loving the comedic aspects of the story so far, but a story with a sociopath for a main character is of course going to have its fair share of dark moments, so fair warning. Gore, murder, and suicidal thoughts will likely show up in the future, but the opening chapters will be mostly light. The story is also heavily focused on team JNPR, so many story sections will be left out due to team JNPR not being present.**

 **Anyways, on to Chapter 3!**

* * *

 _ **Chapter 3**_

 **If They Were Here**

* * *

Juniper Arc, a beautiful mother of eight, is cooking dinner and letting the smells of her wonderful cooking linger around the house with a sweet smile. Her eldest daughters set the table, while the younger take care of the youngest, wonderful twins and the decidedly last children for her to have. Not that that stopped her and her husband from trying, which they did… quite often. It's the Arc way, alright?

Juniper frowns, looking out the window at her only boy, playing in the forest outside their home. An adventurer, just like his father, for sure. A smart, clever young man and _such_ a cute 8-year-old.

What did she do wrong...?

* * *

Jaune glowers down at the row of seats ahead of him and his team, down to team RWBY. More specifically, Weiss. She's angrily glaring at Ruby while Professor Port is telling his first story of the year, in the first _class_ of the year. Jaune spends his idle time imagining various ways Weiss could die, and all the plotting involved to cover it up. He's found it to be a great way to keep his mind occupied.

Weiss volunteers for something stupid that Jaune wasn't paying attention to, but the growling cage that has been dragged into the center of the room gets his hopes up. Is he about to witness a murder?!

"Am I about to witness a murder?" he whispers to Nora, who nods quickly with a huge grin.

"I wanna see some BROKEN LEGS!" She stands up and cheers, which Professor Port appreciates. Okay, maybe she's not that bad after all, he could most definitely use a sadistic friend in his life, though her energy is still… a bit much. It's a work in progress, okay? Jaune would stand up and cheer for murder, but that would draw attention to him, which is basically his nightmare.

Weiss fights the Boarbatusk (and her partner, verbally at least), before class is dismissed and she stomps out. Ruby follows her, a bad idea on her part, but Jaune stays in his seat, stretching. "Next is Goodwitch, right?"

Nora gasps and jumps up onto her feet. "That's combat class! Oh! Oh! If there's volunteers let me go!"

"Will you break some legs?" Jaune asks quietly.

"ABSOLUTELY!"

Jaune closes his eyes and slowly nods. He can work with this team. "Well, let's get there early then, find some good front row seats."

Pyrrha and Ren nod, standing up with him and walking out the door. Jaune leads while Nora skips to his side, Ren taking up the back. Ren nods at something, then speaks up for one of the first times. "This place definitely needs a map."

"I know, right?!" Jaune and Nora respond in unison.

Pyrrha covers her mouth and giggles at her strange team, but frowns a little when someone points to her in awe. She quickly covers it up with a polite smile as the freshman walks up and asks for an autograph. Jaune and the rest of the team politely wait for her to finish. Well, Nora and Ren politely wait, Jaune seems a little irritated. Pyrrha signs an autograph and waves the freshman off before sighing.

"I was kidding about the autograph thing. People actually do that?" Jaune asks, crossing his arms in mild irritation.

Ren nods. "The Mistral Region Tournaments are very important to some native to the kingdom."

Pyrrha looks down and shrugs with a small smile. "It's alright, but I won't let that overshadow the team, don't worry!"

Nora giggles. "Sillyhead, I'm pretty sure none of us have even _watched_ the tournaments!"

"Nora, don't be rude," Ren says quietly to the orange-haired ball of energy.

Pyrrha smiles again and plays with her hair. "I don't mind, I like just being a member."

"You better train us," Jaune grumbles. "I'm surprised you weren't made leader, since you're _apparently_ the best fighter in the kingdom."

"I would love to train you all, but I assure you, I'm not that good, nowhere close to huntress level."

Jaune smiles a bit. "That's what we're here for, right?"

Pyrrha nods happily, and the team arrives at Goodwitch's class nice and early!

* * *

The Champion, with hair crimson as blood, stands across from her opponent, a girl dressed in green with twin axes, Jade. Pyrrha nods to her opponent respectfully, which she returns.

"Begin!"

Pyrrha dashes forward, her shield Akoúo̱ held before her and her javelin already in a striking position, both well-guarded and ready to attack. Jade jumps into the air in response, her axes switching into large pistols that rain down fire on her. Pyrrha holds her shield up, blocking each shot as it comes but making sure to keep an eye on her opponent. Jade lands and immediately runs in, striking quickly but being parried with ease by the small shield. Pyrrha's javelin switches into a sword, and she counterstrikes quickly, striking a heavy blow onto her light-footed opponent.

Jade scowls and connects her axes with each blade facing outwards, forming a heavy war axe. She runs back in with more power to her swing, but Pyrrha simply jumps over the swing gracefully and kicks her opponent in the chest. Pyrrha goes on the offensive, running in and rapidly swinging her sword in practiced motions to remain on guard and unpredictable.

"…She's the best fighter in the kingdom."

Jaune watches the fight with wide eyes, Pyrrha absolutely decimating her foe on the stage as Professor Goodwitch spectates. Since when has fate ever been on his side? A sadistic heavy-hitting powerhouse, the equivalent of a ninja, and _the best freaking fighter in the kingdom_. All led by _him_. Jaune smiles and nearly scoffs at how brutally his partner wins her fight, her aura remaining completely full. He stands and claps with the rest of his team as she walks out of the ring to get dressed in her school uniform once more.

"Damn she's good."

Ren nods, while Nora pouts. "There was no volunteering todayyyy…"

"I am sure you'll fight next time, Nora," Ren comforts her with a pat on the shoulder.

"You still have to break some legs for me!" Jaune exclaims, to which Nora jumps onto her seat and laughs.

"As thy knight commands!"

"Uh, wha?"

Ren looks to Jaune with half-lidded eyes, about to say something, likely explain what's happening, when Nora interrupts.

"I'm Queen of the castle! Ren is my noble squire, you are my knight, Pyrrha… Is… My…."

"Champion?" Jaune guesses.

"Nah."

"Gladiator?" Ren adds, holding his hand up.

"Nope."

"…Steed…?" Jaune mutters with a squint.

"Wrong! She is my… royal guard, tasked with defending my very soul!"

"I am?" Pyrrha asks, making both Jaune and Nora jump and cling to Ren in fear. Ren just sighs. "Class ended five minutes ago."

"It did?" Jaune asks, dusting himself off and looking around at the empty room. "So it did. To lunch!"

"To lunch!" Nora echoes, jumping off her chair and bolting out the door with Ren in tow.

Jaune rubs his temples, now alone in the room with a slightly confused Pyrrha. "Anyway, you were a really good fighter. I'm glad you're on the team, for sure."

Pyrrha blushes slightly and smiles at him. "Thank you, Jaune. I can't wait to see you fight as well."

"Yeah…" Jaune rubs the back of his head, walking past her and out the door. Dust, he's awkward, why couldn't he just be paired up with the damn trash can?

Jaune and Pyrrha catch up with Nora and Ren, who have taken seats… right next to team RWBY. ** _Joy_**. He sighs and rubs his temples, a habit that has quickly formed in the last… day, before putting on a convincing smile, grabbing a sandwich, and taking a seat beside Ren.

"Jaune!" Ruby exclaims, waving her hands around as if he can't see her.

"Hey Ruby, Yang," Jaune says calmly, his practiced smile bright and cheery as Pyrrha sits to his left. Yang, stuffing her face, just gives a small wave. "I notice Weiss isn't here, that's nice."

Ruby frowns and kicks her feet, picking at her food. "Weiss is mad about stuff."

"Isn't she always?"

Yang nearly chokes on her food when she tries to speak, punching herself in the chest and swallowing her pasta. "That's what I said!"

"She seems a bit better though," Ruby continues with a tiny smile. "I think Professor Port talked with her, but she wanted to eat alone…"

Jaune waves his hand dismissively, rolling his eyes. "She's more antisocial than I am, and that's saying something. My mom always told my sisters that some distance isn't too bad. One lunch alone won't kill either of you. Unless that lunch was poisoned or something."

"I guess you're right!" Ruby smiles a bit more, taking bites of her spaghetti as Jaune finally notices the happy expression on Pyrrha's face.

"Mom's advice usually is, heheh," Jaune mutters, rubbing the back of his neck and taking a bite from his sandwich. Jaune glances to Ruby, eyes narrowing just slightly.

 _Ruby's smile is fake._

 _Why is it fake._

 _Why is she lying._

 _Perhaps the truth should be torn out of her._

 ** _With a knife._**

Jaune blinks, looking away from Ruby's **_FAKE SMILE_** and turning to Pyrrha. "So, uh, Pyr. How's your first day so far?"

Pyrrha smiles brightly, swallowing her sushi and looking to him. "It's been wonderful, Jaune!"

"That's… great," Jaune mumbles with a small nod, now just eating his sandwich and trying to calm down a little bit. Thoughts like that made his mom and sisters sad.

 _But they're not here right now._

* * *

Jaune's forehead hits his desk the moment the history professor steps into the room. Dust, he's a teacher?! And of his favorite subject?!

"Mr. Arc, correct?"

Jaune's head snaps up and he nods, suddenly aware of all the attention on him.

"Excellent, excellent! Not to worry, our meeting earlier was a simple mistake, I'm glad to see you passed the initiation process!" the professor says much too quickly, adjusting his glasses and nodding firmly.

"Y-yes sir."

"That being said, _see me after class_."

Jaune's eyes go wide and his face pales, but he quickly nods and the class begins. Pyrrha frowns at him and pats him on the shoulder, seeming unsure why Jaune's in trouble. _That makes two of us._

The class is simple, unlike the previous classes, just an introduction to the importance of history, and a schedule of work and lectures. Jaune takes notes, actually rather thankful for the extensive plan _Doctor_ Oobleck has put together for the class. It feels the most professional of the classes, definitely.

Still, though, Jaune can't help but nervously shift in his seat, unable to focus. He's always been rather afraid of authority, which is why he tends never to repeat his outbursts. Detention, and over something so trivial, makes him even more anxious. He'd definitely need to be on his best behavior in the eyes of Doctor Oobleck.

When class is dismissed, Jaune nervously looks to his team. "You three head back to the dorms, finish decorating, maybe! I'll be fine, catch up when I can?"

Pyrrha nods, while Nora hops up onto Ren's back. NPR leaves slowly, after everyone else has filed out. Ruby gives Jaune a sad…

 ** _Pitiful._**

…glance, before being dragged out by Yang, leaving Jaune alone with the professor. "So… Um… I won't do it again, I promise, Doctor Oobleck," Jaune nervously fumbles, standing up.

"That's not what I'm here to discuss, Mr. Arc! Though perhaps do try not to repeat that, it is likely quite bad for your skull!"

Jaune tilts his head, frowning. "Then, um, what did you need?"

Oobleck motions for Jaune to come to his desk, which he does immediately. "As the more knowledgeable of the professors here at Beacon Academy, I am not only a historian, but a psychologist. I did not earn my PhD for fun, you know!"

Jaune frowns, looking down at the floor. Oobleck nods slightly.

"Yes yes, I understand your circumstances quite well, Mr. Arc. Not to fear! I was asked to consider continuing your therapy here at Beacon, which I would gladly do for a bright young student such as yourself! You would only need to see me an hour each week, which you can easily explain away as extra readings with me if you need to! Of course, we would only have these sessions with your consent."

"H-how much, uh, do you know?"

"Partial antisocial personality disorder, combined with avoidant personality disorder. Those are the medical terms, anyway. What I know is that you're a bright young man who is trying his very best given his circumstances, and I applaud that! I would like to act as a supporter for you here at Beacon."

"To keep me in line?"

"To keep you happy, Mr. Arc. To help you succeed and prove that anybody can become a hero."

Jaune smiles slightly. "This is the part where I say thanks, right?"

Oobleck chuckles. "I suppose so, yes."

"See, I knew other people say 'I suppose!'"

"Was that ever in doubt, Mr. Arc?"

The two share a small chuckle, Jaune awkwardly rubbing the back of his head. "I guess I wouldn't mind an hour each week, but I don't have to talk if I don't want to, right?"

"Of course, Mr. Arc. May I call you Jaune?"

"Only if I can call you by your first name. Uh, sir."

"It's Bart," he replies with a slight smile. "Please, though, not in front of the other students. It's a highly regarded secret, you know!"

Jaune wrings his hands, "Okay, Bart. Heh, that feels a bit weird to say actually."

"Doctor Bart?"

"Oh God that's even worse!"

He chuckles loudly, sipping his coffee. "Bartholomew, then."

"Oh, fancy, I can get behind that!"

"Very well then Jaune! Friday evenings after class, then?"

"Sure, Bartholomew. Is it weird that my first real friend is a teacher?"

"I've been told I have that effect on people!"


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's notes here! Hi!  
**

 **I've come to realize that a lot of the major events in the first two volumes of RWBY don't really have Jaune's influence, besides the Jaunedice/Forever Fall arc. I still want to do a lot with the concept though, so I've decided to try my hand at reversing the situation, and making what team RWBY does, for the most part, a minor and supporting thing. A little arc for Blake, for example. Let me know what you think, thanks so much for the feedback!**

* * *

 ** _Chapter 4_**

 **Difficulties**

* * *

Jaune steps up to the stage, brilliant blue eyes narrowed in irritation at the attention being given to him. His first fight in Beacon, and against the meathead that goes by Cardin.

"Jauney-boy! Almost didn't see you there, invisible loser!"

Jaune frowns, tilting his head at Cardin's antics as the burly boy steps up to the stage, opposite him. Goodwitch prepares the aura indicators above the stage, and Jaune unsheathes his blade, getting into a well-practiced defensive position. Cardin's big, wearing far too much armor. His best weapon would probably be a large shield/sword combination, not the large mace he's swinging around.

Jaune's eyes narrow even further. He doesn't bother transforming his shield, leaving it on his hip. Dodging the heavy strikes will do far more good than blocking, no matter how strong the shield (or the arm behind it). Jaune takes a moment to calm his face, not wanting to appear overly serious in front of a gloating foe.

"I'm going to guess you're _not_ one of the gentle giant types?"

Cardin just snorts in response, likely about to spout a very _not_ witty response, but is interrupted by Ms. Goodwitch.

"Begin!"

Jaune stands there, in a relaxed guarding position, as Cardin hefts his mace up and charges. Jaune notes the direction of the swing, jumping just ahead of the huge arc and ending up behind his opponent, who immediately tries to use his momentum to spin around and get a second strike in. Jaune lowers his center of gravity with a crouch, keeping himself close as he gets behind Cardin once more, finally striking with as much power as he can muster.

It… isn't much.

Cardin lurches forward from the blow, but Jaune has to jump back to avoid the fist that comes his way much faster than the heavy mace ever could. "I almost felt that, Jauney-boy!"

Jaune responds with his favorite finger, using his sword as a cane now that he's a safe distance away. A little sass never hurt anybody, right? Well, actually, it's probably hurt a lot of people. Goodwitch glares at him, signaling him to get on with the fight, which Jaune is happy to do. He gets back into his guard once Cardin has recovered, then goes on the offensive, charging in and quickly rolling under the huge swing Cardin tries to pull off in response.

Jaune's blade is quick to strike at Cardin's legs, one of the few places not covered in armor. It's irritating, being a great counter to Jaune's weapon. Cardin, unfazed, hits Jaune in the chin with his elbow, making the blond boy reel back and nearly fall over. He shakes his head and gets back into a guarded position, running in and trading blows now that the first hit has been given on both sides. Jaune, much quicker and now more knowledgeable of Cardin's most oft used moves, quickly gains the advantage.

"This is the part where you lose, Winchester."

Cardin scowls, worn down from the heavy armor and weapon. His endurance needs work. He scoffs and shakes his head. "Over my dead-"

Jaune goes for the kill, which is to say, his knee meets Cardin's most precious jewels, making every male in the audience wince. Jaune glances to the aura indicators, noting Cardin's aura is still in the yellow, even though he's on his knees and holding his crotch. Jaune smiles his widest smile yet, before kicking Cardin in the chin at full force, throwing him backwards and making Goodwitch call the match.

"With Mr. Winchester… incapacitated, Mr. Arc is the winner. Mr. Winchester, you cannot rely on strength over everything, be sure to keep your guard while attacking. Mr. Arc, your form needs work, and your strikes will require more strength behind them if you want to be able to counterattack effectively. "

Jaune nods and walks off stage to take off his equipment, a now less injured, fuming Cardin following him to the locker rooms. As soon as they're both out of sight, Cardin slams Jaune into a locker.

"You think you're tough shit, huh, Jauney-boy?"

Jaune shakes his head quickly, not speaking up. He has handled bullies in the past, of course, but given that he's now attending a combat school for the best warriors in all of Remnant, he'd rather solve his problems without resorting to violence.

"Good, you're smarter than you look then, loser. Embarrass me on stage again and I'll show you how good of a fighter I am when I'm allowed to play dirty, got that?"

Jaune nods silently, Cardin letting go of him and stomping off to get changed. Jaune rubs his neck with a frown, before shrugging and putting his equipment away. He's not here for pride, so he could care less about losing on stage.

 _But if he could get better…_

 _To the point where even Cardin couldn't fight back?_

 _There's a thought._

Jaune smirks to himself, walking out of the locker rooms and rejoining his team, Ren giving him a nod as Pyrrha hugs him and Nora continues to pout.

"You said you'd break his legs for me," she mumbles, pouting cutely.

"Trust me Nora, what I did was much more painful. Right, Ren?"

Ren shuts his eyes and nods, trying not to shudder at the memory.

* * *

 **Saturday. The moment of truth.**

Ren gulps, teeth clenched as he watches potential death approach.

"Welllllllll?"

Ren nods sagely, shutting his eyes tightly and hoping for the best.

Jaune, however, furrows his brow and crosses his arms. "I don't think so."

"WHAT?!"

Nora stomps her foot at the two men sitting on the bench in front of her. She's in a bright pink off-shoulder dress that reaches her knees, with hearts along the skirt, and matching pink flats. She taps her foot faster, glowering angrily at Jaune. Ren scoots away from Jaune at a speed to make Ruby jealous.

"It's too much pink, Nora," Jaune starts, holding his hands out. "It doesn't mesh well with your hair color. If you were to add a pink lotus to your hair, perhaps? Or add more contrasting colors if that's your goal?"

Nora blinks at him, cheeks puffed up. "Why couldn't you just say it's fine like Renny always does?!"

"I have seven sisters, Nora. Seven sisters. I _can't_ just say 'it's fine.' You'll appreciate my candid responses tonight."

A certain buxom blonde crashes out of the dressing room beside Nora's, laughing hard enough to make everyone in the clothing store stare. "Who on REMNANT says 'candid' anymore?! You're like a freakin' walking thesaurus!"

Ruby waves her arms around, jumping in front of Jaune and Ren's line of sight. "YANG!"

"What? I'm in a bra, sis!"

"Barely," Jaune mumbles with a roll of his eyes.

"YAAAANG"

Yang scoffs and goes back into her dressing room, Ruby flopping back down on her bench with a loud sigh. Nora seems to have forgotten her anger, much to Ren's relief.

Jaune looks to the three beside him. "It's our teams' first weekend and we're going out to a fancy restaurant? Isn't that a bit much?"

"It's a celebration of us all successfully entering Beacon Academy," Weiss, who steps out of her dressing room, states formally. "So, Jaune, if you're so proficient in fashion, what is your opinion on my dress?"

Jaune looks her over slowly. Weiss is, as usual, dressed in white. It's a tight, form-fitting dress that reaches past her knees with a V-neck, asymmetrical to show off her right leg and allow for easier movement, matching her tall white heels and perfectly complimenting her various blue jewelry. Jaune nods. "It definitely compliments you well, but I didn't take you for the type to flaunt your figure."

Weiss scoffs, brushing her hair back. "One can't wear combat skirts all the time."

Ruby pouts. She can!

"So why isn't Blake coming?" Jaune finally asks, silently hoping someone else would have mentioned the girl's absence before him.

"She's like you," Weiss replies with her hands on her hips, sighing heavily.

"Antisocial? Even I'm not going to pass up free rich person food."

Weiss crosses her arms and purses her lips, taking a seat beside Ruby as Yang steps out in a bright yellow dress with a skirt much too short. Jaune is about to speak up, but Yang cracks her knuckles and glares at him with lilac eyes that flash red. He's a sociopath, not an idiot, and immediately shuts his mouth. Yang nods firmly and takes a seat beside Weiss, team RW_Y complete.

"So, all that's left is Pyrrha, yeah?" Yang asks, wrapping an arm around Weiss, which results in a slap on the face and a glare.

"I'm sorry!" The familiar redhead replies from within her dressing room. "I'm just… finishing up."

"Nervous?" Ren asks, Nora wrapped around his arm and squinting at Jaune.

"O-only a bit!"

Jaune chuckles, leaning back on the bench and stretching out. "It'll be fiiiine, Pyr."

After a few minutes of silence, Pyrrha nervously steps out of her dressing room, wringing her hands. She can handle life or death situations with calm and ease, but showing off in front of new friends makes her panic. Her dress is long, asymmetrical to show off her left shoulder, and reaches down nearly to the floor, hiding her feet. The dress is a deep crimson, matching her hair, and she shyly puts her hands behind her back, awaiting critique. Yang whistles, while the rest nod in approval, even Weiss.

All but Jaune, of course, who is looking her up and down slowly. Pyrrha blushes at this, resulting in a raised eyebrow from Yang, but doesn't say anything, patiently waiting for her leader's verdict.

Finally, after nearly a full minute of contemplation, Jaune nods. "Like Weiss, your dress perfectly complements your eyes while matching your hair. It looks stunning."

Pyrrha smiles and bows a little as if Jaune were a judge, her face nearly as red as her hair as she hurries back into her dressing room to change back into her casual clothing until tonight. Nora pouts, ignoring Jaune's advice and deciding to buy the dress.

Jaune stands and stretches. "Well, Ren, our school uniforms double as dress wear, so all we have to do is find some nice ties."

Ren smiles and nods, standing up beside him and rubbing his head, glad to finally be finished with the nightmare of shopping for dresses with four women. And Ruby. He hurries away to go find a simple tie, and Jaune moves to follow. In the end, he finds a nice blue tie to match his eyes, and Ren finds a magenta one for the same reason.

After the teams have separated for the morning, Jaune sets out to explore Vale on his own for the first time. It's only midday, so Jaune sets an alarm as a reminder for the restaurant late that night, then begins strolling through the crowded streets. It's definitely a different experience than what he's used to, from the small villages his family would visit in Anima to his own home, nowhere near a city as big as Vale.

It would be terrifying, if it weren't so interesting.

Jaune looks around, the midday sun only making his blond hair shine brighter. He frowns at the heavy crowds in the streets, unconsciously moving away from the city center and onto less populated streets. He unknowingly crosses from the commercial district of Vale into the industrial district, but soon notices the change in scenery. Warehouses, dust manufacturers, factories, and more line the streets, and Jaune soon finds himself stopping. He shouldn't go any further, not until he has more Lien on hand.

This would be the best place to buy parts for a weapon, right…?

Jaune shakes his head and turns a corner, trying to make it back to the commercial district without getting lost. Thankfully, **_THANKFULLY_** , he has a map of Vale, something Jaune is incredibly **_thankful_** for. Still, as Jaune starts noticing the return of more traditional stores, he finds one place in particular that catches his eye.

Stepping inside, Jaune is bombarded with flashing lights and pounding techno music that forces him to resist the urge to plug his ears. Several men in black suits and red sunglasses look at him, and he is quick to frown and rub his neck.

"Is this one of those places that needs reservations?" He asks nervously.

"Kid, this is one of those places where fuckin' nobody comes around until midnight," one of the men says, crossing his arms in irritation.

"But it said it was open."

The man looks to his partner, who shrugs. "I mean, sure? Just don't expect to meet any pretty ladies."

Jaune shrugs, walking in and moving to the bar, a tall man in a white shirt and black vest cleaning glasses and motioning to one of two strangely dressed girls talking to him. Jaune can't hear them talking due to the music, but he honestly doesn't care, taking a seat and opening his scroll. He doesn't actually do anything on it, but it makes him seem busy, which is always good.

The man working the bar finally takes notice of the blond, shooing the two girls away and setting his hands on the counter. "Aren't you a little young to be in this club?"

Jaune looks up at him and blinks, shrugging. "Probably. So, could I get a, uh…" Jaune trails off, trying to remember any alcoholic beverage that would make him sound less like an idiot. "Blue Lagoon? Uh, light on the ice?"

The man squints at him. "Gonna need to see an ID, kid."

Jaune is about to deliver an _excellent_ one-liner that would be _sure_ to turn the tide, a _definite_ crowd pleaser and _not_ just a stuttered apology, but is interrupted by the back door slamming open and a well-dressed man stepping inside, the clacks of his cane against the hard floor audible even past the loud music.

"Junior! Since when did this place become a day care?" The man asks with a smirk, stepping up to the bar. Jaune and Junior both look to him with glares, Jaune in particular scowling and sitting up straighter.

"I didn't know you came out during the day," Junior replies roughly, "thought your pale skin would've burned in direct sunlight."

"Well," the well-dressed man replies with a big smirk, "this place is almost always empty, but even more during the day. This your son or something? I've gotta say, don't see any resemblance."

Jaune's eyes narrow, looking the well-dressed man up and down. Bowler hat, orange hair over one eye, extremely fashionable…? "You're Torchwick, right? The criminal?"

Junior looks over to Jaune, glowering. "Get out of here, kid, or I'll have my men throw you out."

Torchwick glances at Jaune, his chin held high as if looking at a lesser being. "It's alright Junior, make the man his drink, he obviously needs to loosen up."

Junior scowls, but goes to make the drink while Torchwick takes a seat next to Jaune, smirking. "I notice you haven't ran or called the cops, kiddo, you that desperate for a drink?"

Jaune smiles a bit and shrugs. "Honestly, I really don't care who you are. I just had to help five women pick out clothing, then nearly got lost in Vale, and stumbled into the first damn club I saw."

Torchwick chuckles, setting his cane on the bar and taking out a cigar. "You had me at helping women shop, kid."

Junior sets down the blue cocktail, which Jaune eyes curiously. He didn't expect it to actually be blue. He slides the glass closer but doesn't take a drink, looking to the man beside him. "So, you and Junior going to head into the back room and talk about all your robberies over the past few months, while smoking cigars and drinking whiskey?"

Torchwick smirks, lighting his cigar despite Junior rubbing his temples in frustration. "Are we that obvious? I'm hurt, kid." He stands and takes his cane. "Well, Junior, let's go."

Jaune watches the two of them leave into a back room. He wasn't actually serious, but maybe he wasn't actually too far off? Two men in suits move behind the bar and watch Jaune closely in case he takes out his scroll. Jaune doesn't, simply taking a small sip of his drink and trying not to immediately go into a coughing fit. _Look cool man, look cool. Just because it's stupidly sour and yet stupidly sweet and burns going down, doesn't mean you can't look cool drinking it._

 _…_ _This isn't a ladies' drink, right?_

 _Right?_

Jaune slowly starts to drink the cocktail, letting himself wind down from the already long day. He leans on the bar, rubbing his eyes and thinking about Beacon. One week he's been here, and already he's in a bar thinking about family instead of out there experiencing the world.

Well, at least he's going out to a restaurant with five beautiful women, right? That has to count for _something_ , Cardin would _die_ to be in his position. Well, okay, maybe not with Nora and Ruby and Weiss… Yang and Pyrrha, though, those two are catches! He's pretty sure some would disagree with him there, but maybe he's just into women that could kill him without batting an eye.

That seems like a dangerous thing to be into.

Jaune looks to his glass, noticing only now that it's empty and that his fingers are feeling a little weird. He sits up straighter and takes out his scroll to check the time. Still three hours until the celebration, maybe he could head back to the dorms and take a small nap? A nap sounds nice…

Junior steps out of the back room, seeming hesitant and debating something in his head. Torchwick steps out dramatically after him, tilting his bowler cap in just the right way and sliding back into a seat beside Jaune. "Kid! You're still here! And you haven't called the cops! I'm flattered, truly!"

Jaune rolls his eyes, feeling a little loosened up for some reason. Also hot in the face. Those things have nothing to do with a lightweight consuming a large glass of alcohol. Definitely not. "Roman, right? Like I said before, I do not care."

"Well, then, kid, that's perfect! Y'see…"

Roman leans over, setting down enough Lien to pay for Jaune's drink. "I'm short on smart men like yourself. Men who are simply _apathetic_ , without a person or a damn cause that they're loyal to."

Jaune looks over, raising an eyebrow. "I'm still in school, you know."

Junior holds his head in his hands while Roman chuckles loudly. "And where would you happen to go, kid?"

"Beacon," Jaune replies nonchalantly, either not understanding the significance or not caring. Roman and Junior both look at him with interest now. Roman's smirk only grows wider.

"What's your name, kid…?"

"Jaune, Jaune Arc…" he smiles to himself. "Short, sweet, rolls off the tongue – Ladies love it."

Roman laughs, patting Jaune on the back. "Well then Jaune, I think you and I… could come to an arrangement, don't you think?"


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's notes here!  
**

 **This chapter ended up shorter than anticipated, but that's mainly due to me having a very long day today, and having to prepare for an even longer day tomorrow. Still, though, I'm glad to have released this, since after the next chapter or two, time-skips might start popping up due to how the show itself worked. Let me know you're thoughts, and thank you so much for all of the kind words I've received! I have no clear path for Jaune just yet, just letting you all know!**

 **Also, no one pairing yet. It will not be poly or harem, though. No can do, buckaroo.**

* * *

 ** _Chapter 5_**

 **Getting to Know Each Other**

* * *

"I want to get stronger."

"That's a very honorable goal, Jaune, but why is that?"

Jaune sighs softly, looking at the professor and rubbing the back of his head. "Would you believe me if I said I just want to help people?"

Oobleck leans forward, taking a sip of his coffee. "Everyone does everything for selfish reasons, Jaune. It takes quite a bit of bravery to admit, of course!"

"…I want to… I…" Jaune sighs heavily, putting his head in his hands. "I want to have that feeling of excitement and power, but without everyone hating me, too. You know…? If I can become strong enough to overpower any Grimm in my path, I'd be hailed as a hero for all my fun, too! So… Yeah…"

Oobleck nods, sitting back and pushing back his glasses. "I've come to notice, Jaune, that you seem to have a fear of authority, but only when called out on it, as it were. Take Ms. Goodwitch, for example! Her trademark stare, which has struck fear into many huntsmen, does not seem to bother you, but the mere mention of you receiving detention makes you nervous. Why is that, Jaune?"

Jaune narrows his eyes and purses his lips. "I don't think I want to talk about that right now."

* * *

 _"…_ _I just… I don't know what to do."_

 _"_ _Let me help you, tell me what's wrong."_

 _"…_ _Do you believe in destiny…?"_

* * *

Jaune straightens his tie in the dorm room mirror, stepping out of the bathroom with a practiced smile. Ren and Nora are too busy discussing the health benefits of pancakes to notice, but Pyrrha gives him a heartwarming smile. Jaune grins and moves to the door, clearing his throat.

"Alright team JNPR! This is our first get-together, and Weiss Schnee of team RWBY has been kind enough to pay for reservations! Let's try our very best to show team RWBY, minus the B, what we're capable of!"

"We're not… fighting them, are we?" Ren asks.

"W-well no, I just meant, like, show them how polite we are. And stuff. Yeah."

"That's a wonderful idea, Jaune," Pyrrha responds with a smile, her hands behind her back. Nora jumps onto Ren's back and laughs.

"As Queen, it is my duty to be the politest and stuff of all of team JNPR!" Nora shouts, promptly burping and falling off Ren's back and onto the floor. Jaune and Ren just silently rub their temples while Pyrrha softly giggles, hand over her mouth.

"Well," Jaune says monotonously with a sigh, "I think three out of four isn't terrible. Are we all ready to go?"

Jaune receives three happy nods, then opens the door and steps out with a firm smile in place.

He bumps directly into Weiss, who, in heels, immediately trips into Yang, sending the two girls tumbling to the floor.

 _Yoink._

"So far so good," Jaune says sarcastically, head in his hands as Ren helps the two irritated women to their feet. Weiss stomps her foot and shoves Jaune, yelling about personal space and other things Jaune doesn't bother to even listen to. Yang looks around for her sister, who hasn't seemed to have left the dorm room yet. When Yang turns around, though, Ruby is seen partially crushed and stuck to Yang's back.

Jaune didn't think this night could get any worse, and it's only been a single minute.

Thankfully, it very much _could_ get worse.

Pyrrha steps out last, shutting the door quietly and smiling at Jaune. Weiss huffs and dusts herself off, muttering about something Jaune doesn't care about before leading the way out into Vale. It's quite a sight, given that Ruby is still in her combat skirt and Pyrrha is walking a bit too close behind Jaune.

So what if he has a cute butt, it's not her fault that if she so much as _glanced_ at Ren, Nora would break her legs!

The group enters Vale, Weiss smirking to herself at all the attention the group is getting as they walk through the streets, Weiss herself looking stunning with a white handbag at her side and blue earrings perfectly matching her eyes. Jaune is scowling and wringing his hands, for the same reasons. Attention should be given to anyone but him, preferably someone on the other side of the continent. Jaune and the group stops when Weiss does, and the small gasps from Ruby and Pyrrha don't do the sight justice.

Jaune takes pictures with his scroll, a big grin on his face. Exploring Vale is so much fun! He sneaks another picture with a snicker when nobody is looking. This'll be good…

A large, white building stands before them with brilliant arches and fountains, a beauty of Atlas architecture and design, and fit for a Schnee. Jaune rubs his neck, unsure whether or not he should brutally make fun of it. It's a beautiful building, sure, but Weiss likes it. Weiss. That makes it immediately a horrible place to be. Jaune takes a picture regardless.

"Wow… Why didn't Blake want to come?" Pyrrha asks, stepping closer.

"I don't know," Weiss responds with a huff. "As soon as I told her the name of the restaurant she said she didn't want to come."

Jaune and Pyrrha look to each other and shrug. Blake will be Blake. Not that either of them know Blake very well, anyway.

Weiss enters first, preemptively scolding her team for any future misbehavior and warning them against so much as speaking out of turn. Jaune shares a worried look with Ren, and they both glance at Nora, who is blissfully unaware of how much of a child she looks dressed in full pink. She took Jaune's advice and stuck a pink lotus in her hair, though, which makes Ren's cheeks slightly pinker every time he looks at it for some reason. Weirdos.

Weiss, standing tall with a firm posture, walks up to the well-dressed man working behind the bright white counter. They are shown to a large table away from the main crowd of patrons, something that Jaune appreciates. Each person takes a seat, with Ruby fidgeting in place now that she realizes how out of place she looks. Weiss gives the small girl a glance that seems to say 'I told you so' but in an extremely rude and angry way.

The group sits in silence, admiring the beautifully modern designs of everything. Nora is obviously trying not to burst out into a long story about how she had a dream exactly like this, but Ren is holding her shoulder tightly and looking to Weiss apologetically. Jaune takes a seat beside the apologetic young man, and Pyrrha takes the seat to his left. Team JNPR on one side, with Yang and Ruby flanking Weiss across from them.

"Hey, uh…" Jaune mumbles, looking to Weiss. She only glares back with an icy gaze. "Thanks, for all this."

The rest of the group quickly nods, Yang patting Weiss roughly on the shoulder. Nobody present could pay for a meal for _themselves_ , let alone six other friends. Just how rich _is_ this girl, exactly?

Oh, right, cheap labor… Meh, worth it.

Weiss waves her hand. "Nonsense. I am doing this as much for me as all of you. No matter how underwhelming many of you may be," Weiss' eyes are drawn to Ruby for some reason, "We are all now in the same position."

"…You wanted to prove your superiority and show off your status?" Jaune asks, raising an eyebrow.

Weiss frowns and glares. "N-no. Definitely not. I, uh. We're all _f-ffffriends_!"

Weiss seemed to have some difficulty even _saying_ the word 'friend' for some reason. Wonder why.

"Not yet!" Nora tries to say. Instead, it comes out as a huge shout, making everyone at the table jump. "Sorry, if I don't talk for a certain amount of time I think all the air builds up or something."

Ren just shakes his head softly. Yang takes his hand in her own and looks at him with pitying eyes, and a _hint_ of sarcasm. "If you need help, please don't be afraid to come to us."

"...Right," Ren mutters, sighing. "Either way, Nora is right. We're here for a reason, other than food, which is to learn about each other."

Ruby smiles at that, patting the table with both hands repeatedly, trying to get everyone's attention. "First! Yang and I are half-sisters!"

"I think everyone knew that," Weiss replies blankly, rubbing her temples. "I am Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Dust Company."

"…And?" Yang asks, raising her brow.

"What is that supposed to mean, Yang? I'll have you know the Schnee Dust Company is the largest Dust-oriented company in all of Remnant!"

"W-what Yang is trying to say," Ruby says, waving her arms frantically at the angry heiress, "Is, um, what is there about you? L-like, I like cookies!"

Weiss rolls her eyes, looking to the approaching waitress, then back at the group. "Everyone order drinks. I highly doubt any of you will understand a single word on the menu, so I will order for you."

* * *

"…So, Weiss, you really thought I was cute when you first saw me?"

Weiss flusters, face going red as she glares at Jaune. "And WHAT gave you that idea?!"

"W-well I mean I literally heard you call me a cute boy…"

Yang chokes on her food, holding her mouth and trying to look as polite as possible as she swallows her food and her laughter simultaneously.

Weiss scoffs in disbelief, setting her hands on the table. "Absolutely not. I was being sardonic."

"You got fish?" Ruby asks, looking over at Weiss' plate.

Weiss rubs her temples and tries not to make a scene, while Jaune and Pyrrha try not to laugh at the woman paying for their food.

Jaune holds his hands up in mock surrender. "All I heard was you calling me cute and blond. I was surprised, honestly. The heiress to one of the richest companies on Remnant, thinking _I'm_ cute?"

Weiss' cheeks get a bit pink at that, but she clears her throat and shakes her head, starting to politely eat her food. Everyone at the table was given the same dish, Weiss explaining that it's the most average and pleasing of the meals served. Honestly, it just looks like a small plate of chicken and rice with fancy garnishes. Good though!

"A-anyway. I'm Jaune Arc. Uh, I have seven sisters, a really great mom, and my dad's a huntsman, which is why I want to be one too!"

"Hi Jaune!" Nora exclaims, waving at him vigorously. "I'm Nora Valkyrie and this is my best friend Lie Ren and we've been together since we were kids! I mean, not, like, 'together-together,' because that's ridiculous, but still! Well I mean not _that_ ridiculous Ren I didn't mean to be mean!"

"Right…" Yang says with a raised eyebrow. "I'm Yang Xiao-Long, but you can call me… anytime." Yang winks at nobody in particular, smirking. "I like clubbing, fighting, and killing Grimm."

"How wonderful," Weiss comments with a sigh. Ruby clears her throat repeatedly, both trying to get attention and likely dispel her anxiousness. She's a very cute one.

 _If only it weren't for the fake smile she loves putting on._

"Hi! I'm Ruby Rose! Ummmmm, like I said before, I like cookies and I'm Yang's sister and I grew up in Patch with my dad and I went to Signal and I got into Beacon two years early for some reason but don't worry because I'm a normal girl! With, uh, normal knees. Yeah."

"Seems like the main character type," Jaune whispers to Pyrrha with narrowed eyes. "Actually, wait, you kinda do too."

Pyrrha frowns at that but leans back and smiles, nervously picking at her food. "I am Pyrrha, hello! I like romantic movies, and, um… I also enjoy dancing."

Weiss raises a brow at that answer. "Nothing about your immense success in combat? Mistral Tournaments? Cereal Sponsorship? Anything?"

"Well, yes, of course, but you all already knew that…"

Jaune smiles and pats Pyrrha's shoulder. "Don't worry Pyr, I like romance movies and dancing too!"

When he receives nothing but awkward stares, he sighs and leans forward. "Seven sisters."

Everyone nods in immediate understanding except for Pyrrha, who is the slightest bit red in the face and positively beaming. Must be really good food. Spicy, too? Jaune sits up a bit straighter, smiling at everyone at the table as they finish up their food.

This is going great.

Weiss clears her throat. "I apologize for the somewhat awkward conversations, perhaps this _was_ a bit too early for a celebration."

Yang smiles. "Weiss-cream, I feel like we're besties already though!"

"I thought I was her bestie," Ruby mumbles with a big pout.

"I think _I_ am her bestie."

Everyone turns to stare at Ren, who just said the word bestie.

Jaune grumbles and hands Pyrrha 10 Lien. HOW could she have foreseen him saying something like that?!

Oh, right, Nora. Lesson learned alright?

Weiss motions for the waitress with a polite smile, before reaching into her handbag. After a moment, she frowns and starts digging through it. Everyone at the table gets a bad feeling. Jaune prays for his wallet.

"…Did someone steal my WALLET?!" Weiss roars, looking to the group with furious eyes. She scowls at the cowardly 'no' from Ruby, and continues to dig through her purse.

"Um, Weiss, I'm sure you just left it at home…" Jaune mutters, rubbing the back of his head. "I'm sure if each of us chip in we can pay for it all…?"

Yang and Nora's eyes go wide, but Pyrrha clears her throat. "It's okay, I can pay, Weiss! It's only right…"

Weiss flusters and shakes her head quickly. "I-if my, my… I need to get back to the dormitory!" She stands up and grabs Ruby's wrist, running out of the building with her. Yang sighs, looking to the group.

"That was a thing."

Pyrrha softly chuckles and hands her card to the worried waitress. "I'll pay, madam. I'm sure Weiss merely misplaced her wallet."

"She's a silly goose like that!" Nora exclaims with a huge grin. The waitress slowly nods and takes the card, leaving the five remaining hunters-in-training awkwardly sitting in silence.

"Well, I hope Weiss finds her wallet," Jaune mumbles with a frown. Pyrrha nods and pats his shoulder in support. Yang nervously laughs and pets her own hair. Nora plays on her scroll, and Ren watches her.

"…I feel like we're kind of boring when Weiss isn't around to fluster and Ruby isn't around to be cute," Yang says with a little frown. "Anyone want to go clubbing after this?"

Jaune raises his hand with a huge grin. "Hell yeah, gotta end the night with a Yang, amirite?"

"I think I'm in love," Yang says, sarcastically swooning and holding the back of her hand to her forehead.

"Oh please, spare me."

"Spare _us_ ," Ren speaks up with a raised eyebrow. Pyrrha quickly nods in agreement. "I think the rest of team JNPR will be going back to the dorms. Unless you have any objections, Pyrrha?"

Pyrrha shakes her head and frowns. Jaune looks to his team with a small smile. "Guys, I won't be gone that long. Ren, Nora, if Pyrrha seems bored or something, you're probably treating her like a third wheel, so don't do that!"

"But we're not-"

"Yes Nora, I understand, but you two get into your own little world sometimes. Pyrrha deserves attention too! Though, uh, I think you three will probably sleep right when you get home. Team JNPR is a very sleepy team."

Pyrrha softly giggles, crossing her legs as the waitress comes back and returns her card. She smiles and says a quick 'thank you' before standing up with the others.

What a nice night!

* * *

Torchwick smiles at the pictures he's been sent, plugging in the numbers and swiftly transferring the Lien to multiple accounts.

"I knew that blondie would come through for us, Neo."

The short girl silently giggles, nearly doubling over in insane laughter that nobody can hear. Torchwick is only mildly disturbed by this point. Exposure therapy, he guesses.

"Well, he's more useful than Perry, I'll give him that."


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's notes here!  
**

 **I'm a bit disappointed with this chapter, to be honest. It took a long time to write, and still ended up rather short. It sort of acts as the beginning of the first arc following the introduction, in a way, so I found myelf struggling with what to write to bridge the gap.**

 **Anyway, leave a review, positive or negative, and thank you all so much for the favorites and follows!**

* * *

 ** _Chapter 6_**

 **Fire in My Eyes**

* * *

Jaune stares like a deer in headlights.

"…Uh, no. Nuh-uh. No can do. Nope. Not gonna happen."

"What's the matter, Vomit Boy?"

" _Exactly that_ is the matter Yang!"

Yang blinks, looking between Jaune and her motorcycle. Oh.

"…I'll be fast."

"That'll just make it worse!"

"…I'll be slow?"

Jaune rubs his temples. "Just… just find somewhere nearby, Yang."

Yang smirks, before promptly being tackled by her younger sister. "Don't destroy it this time or I'll tell dad!"

Yang gasps, holding Ruby's shoulders. "You wouldn't, sis!"

"Yah-huh!"

"Tattletale!"

Ruby sticks her tongue out, and the two sisters share a laugh and a tight hug. How Ruby's aura doesn't instantly shatter, Jaune will never know. Still, Yang definitely reminds him of one of his older sisters. It's endearing, really. Only a _teensy_ bit annoying.

"Girls. Girls."

They stop hugging and giggling, both turning to stare at a mildly irritated Jaune. "Sorry!" Ruby says quickly, waving her arms about wildly. "You two have fun and don't break anything!"

"Yes ma'am," both blondes reply in unison. Ruby nods firmly and zips away, leaving nothing but petals in her wake.

"Your sister is very energetic," Jaune notes with a roll of his eyes.

"Heck yeah she is!"

"I… I was not meaning that to be a compliment, but alright. Let's hurry this up so I don't vomit all over your nice bike."

"You do and I break you, Jaune."

"Hey, you said my name! I gotta ask, did it feel weird?"

"Yeah. Why couldn't your parents just name you John?"

"It means yellow in the language of my mom's old village. I assume Yang means the same?"

"It means sunlight, I think, so close enough! Our grandparents really had to be weird about the whole color naming thing, eh?"

Jaune shrugs, sitting behind Yang on her motorcycle and holding her waist tightly. She fights the urge to elbow him, and instead just glares with an eyebrow raised.

"I don't give a hoot about your body or anyone else's Yang, I'd just prefer not to fall the hell off this deathtrap!"

Jaune looks down at Yang's expression and notices that she's red in the face. Was saying he didn't care about her body actually flattering?

 _"_ _DID YOU JUST SAY YOU DIDN'T GIVE A_ _ **HOOT**_ _?!"_

Yang bursts into laughter so loud her father can hear it back in Patch, while Jaune just rubs his temples. He doesn't know why he ever doubted his blonde acquaintance's stupidity. "It's what my mom always said s-so I just-! Shut up!"

After a few more minutes of laughing, Yang calms down enough to start driving, and Jaune holds on tighter, trying desperately to ignore the quickly building nausea. They stop at an all-too-familiar club, though, and the nausea immediately subsides.

"Ahhhh, Junior's," Yang says with a nostalgic lilt in her voice.

"W-wait, you know this place?" Jaune asks, eyes wide. He'd prefer not to be discovered one day into his short-lived life of temporary crime.

"Heck yeah! It may have been the place I wrecked when I got here."

"So you mean, like, last week."

"Eh, more like… three weeks ago or something?"

"Huh. Well, let's get inside then," Jaune says with a shrug, shakily getting off the deathtrap and sighing. "Though I just realized we look like we're dating."

Yang snorts, parking her bike and getting off with a stretch. "I wouldn't mind a date, ladykiller."

"I _would_ mind, thank you very much," Jaune mumbles, rubbing his temples and walking inside with a giggling Yang following him. Thankfully, no Torchwick in sight. He sighs with relief until every guard in the room is aiming weapons at them.

More specifically, Yang.

"It would seem they remember you," Jaune deadpans, holding his hands up.

"Blondie!" Junior calls out, pushing past his guards and looking between the two with a half angry, half scared expression. Jaune easily guesses which half is designated to which blondie. "What are you doing here?"

"Awww, Junior, girl can't have a little fun with her new bud?"

Junior looks between the two again, with a bit of pity in his eyes directed at Jaune. It is well deserved. "Just don't cause any more trouble, alright? You and your 'bud' have been a pain in my ass recently."

"Might wanna get that checked out," Jaune mutters.

"No prob, Bob!" Yang exclaims with a grin.

Junior's mouth opens but quickly shuts, too exasperated to argue about names with the blonde that nearly killed any children he may have in the future. Poor kiddos. He waves his guards away and returns to the bar, the many patrons of the club not seeming remotely bothered by the displays of force. A place for murderers and thieves like Jaune.

"Let's have some fun, Vomit Boy!" Yang says brightly, elbowing Jaune a bit too hard.

 _Fun._

* * *

"Y-yes, father, I… I understand. I-I will be more careful, I promise, sir."

Weiss holds back tears as she sits on her bed, a worried Ruby sitting at the desk and watching her.

"I-I know the White Fang have been more active in Vale, a-and-"

Weiss flinches at the yelling so loud Ruby can hear it across the room.

"Yes, father. It won't happen again."

She shuts off her scroll and puts it in her handbag silently. Ruby takes a single step forward, but Weiss is instantly on her feet, fuming. "Don't you _DARE_ say anything, Ruby Rose. It's _BAD ENOUGH_ to have you hear my ridiculous stutters! Just…"

Weiss looks down at her dress, her mascara leaving trails across her pale face as the first few tears manage to edge through her icy gaze.

"Just leave me alone to change. I've learned from my mistake, and I'll make sure never to be so _naively celebratory_ again."

Ruby frowns and quickly nods, her eyes watery from the miserable Ice Queen in front of her. She quickly leaves the room and lets Weiss change, letting out a long sigh and slumping down against the doorframe. She looks down at her scroll, wondering where Blake could be…

 _Of course._

Ruby stands up and dashes to the library. It only takes her a few seconds of loudly yelling her teammate's name for a librarian to shush her, to which she shyly apologizes and sulks into the corner.

It is there that she finds a very annoyed Blake, glaring at her. "Is there a reason you were calling my name in a library? Couldn't you just… message me?"

Ruby blinks, her tongue sticking out of her mouth just slightly enough to complete to look of a total, adorable idiot. "I maaaaay have forgotten I could do that. B-but!"

She dashes over next to Blake with a big frown. "Weiss is sad! Someone stole her wallet and her dad got really mad! We gotta throw a party for her or something!"

"Ruby, while I _love_ that idea, truly, I don't think Weiss would. If she's sad, she's old enough to deal with it herself."

"But we're a team! We should at least give her cookies!"

"Pretty sure she wouldn't like that either, Ruby."

"Then what would she liiiike?" Ruby asks, flopping dramatically onto the table with a huff.

Blake shrugs and goes back to reading, eyes narrow and somewhat annoyed. It takes all of ten seconds for her to start feeling guilty at Ruby's despondent state, and she sighs. "She seems like the _… proud_ type of person, Ruby. The last thing she wants is pity. Just forget it ever even happened?"

"I guess… Thanks Blaaaake…"

Blake smiles slightly. "Yeah. Think we should go back to the dorms? I'm sure Yang is going to tell me all about your guys' party, whether I want to listen or not."

"Oh, Yang took Jaune out for club stuff I think!"

"Yang and… Jaune?" Blake raises an eyebrow. The blond boy wasn't exactly talkative, but his sarcastic responses and general… _sass_ did make sense for Yang to be into. Still, though, that dork?

Ruby waves her arms around. "N-not like a date or anything! I don't think! She just texted me saying Jaune was the only one that wanted to go!"

"Right."

Blake had read enough books to know that a man and a woman going to a club alone at night definitely didn't classify as a date.

She just hopes she doesn't have to deal with Yang after _that_ one-night stand.

* * *

"Blue Lagoon? Really dude?"

"Strawberry Sunrise?"

"Hey, I'm a lady, and this is nice and sweet, like me!"

Jaune rolls his eyes. " _Sure._ I would've taken you more for the hard liquor type of girl."

Yang snorts and takes a sip of her third drink, the two blondes sitting at a black table by the dance floor, booming music making the two have to nearly yell to hear one another. "And I would have taken you for more of a goodie-two-shoes not drinking underage type of guy."

"I guess we have a lot to learn about each other, then."

"Guess so, Jaune!"

Said teenager takes a long gulp of his drink, sitting back in his seat and opening his scroll. He tries to keep looking nonchalant as he reads the message plastered on the home screen.

 _[Parts requisitioned. Didn't know blondes came in pairs.]_

Jaune looks around the club slowly, trying not to look conspicuous. This was an unknown number, not the same as the number he had sent pictures to, but the sender was obvious.

And he could see them.

"Jaune, Jaune! Wanna dance?" Yang asks, oblivious and maybe _slightly_ slurring her words.

"Uh, sure," he responds, standing up and trying to get back into the flow of things. He should be happy, step one of getting a brand-new weapon is complete! The only question is, how many more steps will there be before Torchwick is done with him?

He shrugs. Not like he really cares. It's actually rather exhilarating. He smiles as Yang stands and slides over the table and onto the dance floor crowded with people. Jaune follows, only blushing a _teeny_ bit at the somewhat sexual way Yang starts dancing, swaying her hips to the beat and closing her eyes. Jaune, very awkward at the huge crowd that are all thinking about how pathetic and useless he is, merely scoots near the only person he knows and tries to follow the rhythm.

"Oh don't be so stiff, Jaune," Yang complains with a smile. "I know you're all socially awkward but come on, not even that huge drink could loosen you up?"

"One of us has to drive home," Jaune says while rubbing his temples.

"Such a sweetie~" She teases, smirking and swaying her body softly but naturally to the pounding music.

Jaune's mind falters for a mere moment, and a nearly sadistic smile appears on his face. "If I'm driving, how about I get you some more drinks, alright Yang?"

"Awwwww, okay Jauney! Ruby could learn to take some pointers from you!"

Jaune pats her head and walks over to the bar, taking a seat and typing out a message to the unknown number.

 _[The other blonde is a HIT too, and her sister's the little red girl with a scythe. Familiar?]_

HIT, a loving acronym from Huntsman/Huntress in Training. Jaune smirks, ordering two more of Yang's favorite drink before typing out an extensive plan, sneering as the message sends and he gets a quick response.

 _[You work fast, kid, too fast. Give me a few days.]_

Jaune huffs then looks at the two drinks that are set down in front of him by a nameless bartender with red sunglasses. He frowns and takes them, walking back to the table and setting them across from him. Yang, still on the dance floor, waves to him and jumps over and into her seat. "Thanks Jaune!"

Jaune smirks and nods, putting his scroll away. He waits until Yang has guzzled down both whole glasses before suddenly realizing something and grimacing. "Uh, Yang?"

"Yessss?"

"I don't know how to drive a motorcycle."

* * *

"What do you mean pick you up, Yang? With what?"

Ruby flusters, pacing around the dorm room and waving her free arm around.

"Call a taxi, I don't know!" Ruby says, Weiss and Blake sharing a look of annoyance. "Yes you can leave it there overnight! You're the ones who got drunk!"

Blake facepalms and Weiss buries herself under her covers.

"Well if Jaune's not drunk then let him order the taxi!" Ruby sputters and flops onto her desk. "Did you at least not break anything this time?"

"…Good, Yang. Just… Just get a taxi and the team can go grab your bike tomorrow, 'kay? …Love you too, you're still in lots of trouble!"

Ruby closes her scroll and sighs, crawling up into her bed.

"Your sister is an insufferable brute," Weiss scolds, pouting in her bed.

"Only sometimes, Weiss. Only sometimes."


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's notes here!  
**

 **Why hello there, young madams and sirs, welcome to Remnants of the Mind!**

 _ **yes i know its already chapter 7 dont ruin this 4 me**_

 **This chapter is a bit short! This is because it was originally one really, really long chapter, that I've decided to split and revise a bit! Too much happening at once can be... chaotic, so I wanted to avoid that. Plus, I need time to work on my two other projects o-o**

 **Anyways, enjoy, and beware!**

* * *

 ** _Chapter 7_**

 **Harbinger**

* * *

The smell of blood drew Juniper's eyes to the field outside of their home. Taking her staff, she cautiously steps foot outside and ambles towards the metallic smell that only seems to get stronger with every step. The smell was a familiar one to her, though she always wished it wasn't. Grimm didn't usually lick the areas of their slaughter clean, after all.

When she saw her son, though, everything stopped.

Frozen in place, she watched him tear open a bird's chest, a half-interested smile on his normally blank face. Surrounding him were hundreds of black birds just like it, and blood was sloppily strewn across the field with reckless abandon, her son obviously not taking much time to kill in the beginning of his experiment.

It was when the smile grew, and deep blue eyes locked with her own, that Juniper woke up suddenly in her bed, tears burning in the corners of her eyes.

She was terrified of her own child.

* * *

"Whatcha draaaawin', Jaune?"

Jaune sighs, massaging his sore cheek and sitting back in his bed, letting Nora sit beside him and look down at his notebook. "Just an idea."

"WOAH! Is that a multi-dust enhanced sheath that transforms into a dust cannon?"

"That's… remarkably observant of you, Nora." It wasn't even a very good drawing.

Nora squeals and Jaune rubs his temples. Two weeks. Two weeks since Yang's bike got stolen, two weeks since Cardin began mercilessly bullying him, two weeks since Torchwick last contacted him.

He's getting impatient.

Ren steps out of the bathroom, having taken a shower to prepare for the day. Nora immediately tackle-hugs the calm boy to the floor, and Jaune sighs, going back to drawing. "It's Sunday, Ren, why are you two up and ready so early?"

Ren quietly sighs and glances to Nora. Jaune immediately understands, and solemnly nods as Nora pulls Ren out of the dorm room and into a full day of definitely not together-together activities. How Pyrrha is still sleeping, even after Jaune had to listen to Nora go over her recurring dream for the fortieth time, he could never know. He's jealous.

So, instead, Jaune sighs and stands up, moving over to the large bump under Pyrrha's blankets, and sits down on top of the sleeping champion to continue drawing his plans for his new weapon. Sure, family mattered to him, but the symbolism and importance of ancestral weapons was lost on him.

 _Oh_ _ **shit.**_

Jaune's eyes go wide and he scrambles off of Pyrrha and onto the floor. All that thought of family finally reminded him.

He forgot to call home.

Jaune goes on a loud cursing streak that manages not to disturb the sleeping warrior, and charges into the bathroom with his scroll. He dials a number and holds the screen up to his face, no longer caring about the sleep in his eyes or his constantly messy blond hair.

A beautiful woman, with dazzling blue eyes and stunning blonde hair put into a ponytail, answers the call. Her face, often so friendly and loving, young and healthy. Her voice, almost always so flowery and motherly.

Except for now, of course.

 ** _"_** ** _JAUNE ARC YOU HAD ME WORRIED SICK!"_**

Jaune winces at the fire in his mother's normally kind eyes and nervously laughs, sitting down at the edge of the bathtub. "S-sorry mom, I, uh, kind of, uh, forgot! I've been busy!"

"You told us you'd call the second you landed! How could you forget something like that?! Jessa has been so worried about you!"

"I'm okay, mom! Tell her I'm okay. She didn't cry, right?"

"You're damn right she cried young man!"

Jaune flinches and rubs the back of his head. "Well tell her I'm sorry… Maybe she can talk to my team sometime? They're really nice…"

His mother sighs loudly, rubbing her face in both relief and exasperation. "Okay. How is your team, then, Jaune? Are they treating you well? Who is your leader? Are there girls?"

"They're… pleasant, I'm the leader, there's two girls."

"You're the leader?! Oh Jaune I'm so proud! I'll have to tell your father when he comes home!"

"It's not much different from being a normal member, I just have some extra classes and stuff…"

"It's not too hard on you, is it? Are the girls there pretty? Do you like any of them?"

Jaune rubs his temples. And _he's_ the one with difficulties keeping a conversation? "It's not hard on me mom, but like I said, I'm busy. The girls are fine, and I'm fine."

Jaune nearly jumps out of his skin when a knock on the bathroom door interrupts his mother before she can reply. "Are you alright?" the constantly caring Pyrrha asks through the door. Jaune's mother puts her hand over her mouth, having heard the voice of a woman. _Her future daughter-in-law?!_

"Y-yep, sorry Pyr!" Jaune calls, standing up and putting his scroll in his pocket. He steps out of the bathroom with a nervous smile. "Had to call my mom and didn't want to wake you."

"Oh, I'm sorry for interrupting!" Pyrrha says with a tiny bow of her head, quickly entering the bathroom behind him and closing the door. Jaune sighs, flopping onto his bed and taking his scroll back out of his pocket.

"Pyr?" His mother asks with pink cheeks and a bright smile. "What a beautiful n-"

"Mom, _mom_. I already told you, I'm fine."

"Don't you dare interrupt me young man! Let your mother have some fun after the worry you put her through!"

Jaune winces again. "Yes ma'am."

Yang, through the thin dorm room walls, makes a loud whiplash sound.

"What was that?" His mother asks, tilting her head.

"N-nothing, mom. Anyway, I've gotta, uh, do… stuff… so…"

"Okay sweetie, but you better call tomorrow!"

"Alright, mom…"

"I love you, Jaune."

"I love you too," he replies with a small, practiced smile, before he hangs up.

 _[Junior at 2100.]_

Jaune's eyes go wide when he reads the message, and he awkwardly stands before sitting right back down, not sure what to do. Thankfully, Pyrrha leaves the bathroom before Jaune hyperventilates.

"Is everything okay, Jaune?" She asks, still in what is effectively pajama wear.

"Y-yeah, just… don't really know what to do today. I'm meeting a friend at nine, but it's Sunday, and I already did my work, and I don't really have any _other_ friends…"

Pyrrha cuts his rambling short by sitting beside him with a small smile on her face. "I've personally found training to be a good way to spend time."

"She says, still in her pajamas," he says, still in his pajamas.

Pyrrha rolls her eyes playfully and bumps shoulders with the sassy teenager. "Well I'm just quite tired today!"

"I'm always tired," Jaune admits as he lays back in his bed and lets out a long sigh. "I would sleep, but don't want to miss the meeting. Plus, I wouldn't sleep tonight…"

Pyrrha rubs her chin in thought, bright green eyes flickering about the room. "Perhaps we could both rest, without sleeping?"

Jaune sits up, unexpectedly smiling. "I know just what to do, actually. If you don't mind me playing with your hair, I mean."

Pyrrha's face suddenly flushes. "W-wha?"

"Well, my sisters always forced me to do stuff to their hair while they cried over romance movies, but I ended up associating it with them, and it sorta became kind of relaxing. Kind of." Jaune suddenly sighs, rubbing his nose. "Dust, I can feel my manliness drifting away with every word…"

Pyrrha giggles despite her quickly reddening face. "W-well, I do not mind! We can watch a movie on my scroll, if you'd like…"

Jaune smiles softly. "Sure. I'll go grab the brushes and hair ties. I mean, unless you have other things to do? Sorry, still sort of… awkward."

Pyrrha grins lovingly. "I'd love to watch a movie with you, Jaune. A perfect day for rest!"

Jaune nods quickly, standing up and heading into the bathroom to find all the supplies he needs.

 _C-calm down girl, just a movie, with a really handsome guy who treats you really well but also doesn't treat you like an idol and is really friendly and oh goodness he has such a cute bu-_

Jaune steps back out of the bathroom and smiles at the extremely flustered redhead sitting on his bed. Did he say something stupid again? He's really not very good at being… sociable. Makes sense, of course, and it's not like he really cares in general about whether he's good or bad at it, but his team and especially his partner would need to put a lot of trust in him before they'd willingly jump in front of him to save his life.

Heh.

Jaune sits down in his bed and scoots back behind Pyrrha, smiling calmly. "My sisters love when I braid their hair, so, uh, want me to do that first?"

"Sure, Jaune," Pyrrha manages to say without a single stutter. She gives herself a mental pat on the back for that, but _oh Dust_ this is going to be a long movie.

* * *

After the sniffling stops and Pyrrha uses the last of the tissues, Jaune internally sighs and pats her on the head, having completed her final look. Pigtails. If only mom could see him now, playing with _THE_ Pyrrha Nikos' hair. Not that Pyrrha Nikos as a name meant anything, but mom would put two and two together and get eight, and start asking about names for grandchildren. She's physically appealing, sure, and rather quiet, and can protect herself, but she's a real hero type.

Not the kind of person who would hear the word 'sociopath' and think good things.

Jaune externally sighs at his thoughts, patting Pyrrha on the shoulder as the credits roll. "That was a good movie, Pyr. They got together, even if they went through so much to get there, right?"

Pyrrha sniffles and nods quickly, a smile plastered on her face as she wipes her tears away. "I-it was a wonderful message, Jaune."

"Was I at least a decent, uh… barber isn't the word… But it's the only word I know that has to do with hair, so barber it is!"

"Stylist?" Pyrrha suggests with a small giggle.

"Y-yeah, yeah that is way better. Was I a good stylist, then?"

"You were a delightful stylist. We should do that again sometime!"

Jaune smiles wide and takes the hair ties out of her brilliant red hair. He pauses for a moment, tilting his head slightly in thought. "I always wondered why you never leave your hair down. It's long, so it would interrupt combat I suppose, but even outside of combat, I never see you without it all tied up. It's very beautiful let down."

Pyrrha's heart overloads and she promptly passes out.

Jaune rubs the back of his head. Man, she really must've been tired. With a small sigh, he picks her up and lays her in her own bed, covering her up and looking to his scroll. He still has an hour or so to kill, but he has to get ready first, so he may as well do that.

* * *

"So great to see you again, kid! We really appreciated your friend's little donation."

Jaune scoffs and waves his hand. "Right, right, so great to see you too, Roman. Didn't know a few days meant two weeks, but I'm sure you've been busy with all the money I gave you."

Torchwick smirks, leaning back in his chair and lighting a cigar. Himself, along with a short woman with weird hair and eyes, allowed Jaune to come back into one of what is likely many meeting rooms for less than legal activities. "Well would you look at the mouth on you, kid. You've got the makings of a less fashionable Roman Torchwick in ya."

"Didn't think it was possible to be less fashionable than you, sir," Jaune says in an overly innocent voice.

Torchwick squints for a second, taking a puff of his cigar. "Don't push your luck. I've got another job for someone of your talents, if you're interested."

"And what about my plan?"

"No offense, kid, but it wasn't exactly subtle. That sort of violence brings unnecessary attention."

"And robbing every Dust shop in the kingdom doesn't?"

Torchwick smirks, closing his eyes and taking a long drag of his cigar, something that probably isn't healthy. "Your plan brings with it a different kind of attention. Let's put it on the backburner for now, eh?"

"Fine, fine. You've got the materials, I've got the sketch. This next job, you find someone fantastic at crafting weapons."

"Already on it, kid. Now, we're going to need Neo here," he says, gesturing to the short woman behind him, "to get some… information that you don't need to know about. For her to get it, of course, she needs a reasonable excuse to enter Beacon. I think you can put the puzzle together from here, kid."

Jaune nods. "I said I was meeting a friend when I came here anyway, so…" Jaune squints at Neo. "Neo? As in Neapolitan ice cream? Definitely fits, I guess. A-anyway, I can get her in."

Torchwick and Neo share a smile, before he turns back to Jaune with a smirk. "One more thing. Lien is all well and good for the short term, but the Schnee's donation and your friend's bike won't last. Something to learn, kid, is that knowledge is power. You'll need to do a _biiiit_ more than just get Neo _into_ Beacon, I'm afraid."


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's notes here!  
**

 **Experimenting with different points of view this chapter, let me know if it helped or was too jarring.**

 **Jaune's gotten himself into more than he bargained for, and the timeline will be forever altered because of it.**

* * *

 ** _Chapter 8_**

 **Fireworks**

* * *

 _A tall man, clad in a hooded white cloak like snow in the breeze, will stand at the edge of a cliff._

 _His eyes will be hidden beneath a sharp white mask and hair veiled under his hood, the only visible skin on him will be his lower face, torn in two by a wicked, toothy grin. To his right will be a woman, much shorter than himself, with startling orange hair and a baggy coat obviously not fitted for her._

 _The two will share a manic glance, and look at the scenery before them._

 _Beacon, long destroyed, the remnants of a battle months before, haunted by Grimm._

 _The two will laugh._

* * *

What if things had been different? What if, picture this, it was the _faunus_ whose numbers vastly outnumbered their human counterparts? If you weren't a faunus, you would be an outcast, a being forever isolated because of your lack of a single trait. Would you be so comfortable, then, being on the same team as three faunus? Not only that, but with one of the faunus being from a family that quite obviously hated humans and makes them work as slaves?

You'd have put on fake cat ears without a second thought.

Blake sighs quietly, subtracting numbers in her head to keep her sanity intact. She didn't want to be the shy bookworm, but, quite honestly, she was terrified of every single person here that wasn't a faunus like herself. She held respect for those humans that sought equality between the races, but that didn't stop her from feeling… anxious.

Her fingers were always cold and behind her book her amber eyes constantly darted between every human in sight. Her back was almost always pressed against a wall, and her bow, no matter how stifling, became her only source of comfort. Her team wasn't terrible, Yang and Ruby being at the very least sociable, despite Weiss' heritage and snooty personality at the very least leaving her alone.

"Blakey? Blaaaaaaaaaaakey~?"

Blake sighs and attempts to hide behind her book. Her partner would make a wonderful bear faunus, or a phoenix, or anything brutish or on fire.

"Yes, Yang?"

"You need to enter the conversation at least once, Blakey!" Yang says cheerfully, patting Blake on the shoulder in a way that was probably meant to be soft and playful, but still made her cough in pain. Definitely bear. Blake sets her book down on the lunch table, looking between her three teammates. Team JNPR hasn't arrived yet, thankfully, as Nora's loud storytelling would have annihilated any focus she could have on reading.

"And what was the conversation?"

Weiss scoffs and folds her arms, but Ruby waves her arms around quickly, responding in a squeaky voice. "Jaune! He's being bullied and we don't know what to do!"

Blake narrows her eyes. "Why are you having such a stupid discussion, then?"

"For once, I agree with Blake," Weiss responds, superciliously glaring at Ruby. "This is a combat school, for huntsmen and huntresses. Jaune isn't responding to it, thus proving to Winchester that he is too weak to fight back."

Yang pouts. "Oh come on! It's still bullying! What if he tries to fight back against Cardin and loses? Then things are just as bad, if not worse! I say we step in and do to Cardin what Jaune did his first time in the ring, but _permanently_."

"Y-Yang!" Ruby cries with a slight blush. "I didn't mean hurt Cardin either! I just think we should tell the teachers!"

Weiss slams her hand on the table and shushes Ruby rather angrily, as per usual. "Quiet, you dolt, they're here!"

Blake looks with disinterest to the entrance of the cafeteria, and sure enough, a tall, lanky blond is talking with a redhead, oblivious to the growing blush on her face. How in the hell did _Pyrrha_ of all people like him? Yang too? Is there something she's missing!?

The image of Jaune hung like a horse faunus springs into her mind, and Blake hisses, hiding behind her book. Damnit, brain, stop it! Must resist!

Yang quietly grumbling to herself gets Blake out of her dangerously spiraling thoughts, and Blake looks over to see Pyrrha helping Jaune to his feet, and Cardin walking back to his table to a smirk. She's not an idiot, and this is the tenth time Jaune has 'tripped over his own feet' in the last few weeks, but Weiss had a point. Jaune smiles and pats Pyrrha on the shoulder, obviously trying to calm her down, but even Blake, with four ears, can't hear the two over the crowd.

She does, however, notice a short black-haired girl in ponytails close behind Jaune, glaring quite heatedly at Cardin. She pokes Jaune's shoulder vigorously, making him look to her, and she…. Is that sign language? Blake doesn't understand the flurry of gestures, but Jaune seems to, moving to quickly calm her down as well.

 _I-is this a harem?! This has to be! One dork surrounded by so many women, a-and there's even Ren! What if Ren's into that?_ Blake trembles, burying her face in her book. _This can't be some kind of harem thing, right? This is real life! Haha…_

"Hey guys. Sage, this is Team RWBY, the team I was telling you about."

Blake looks back up from her book slowly, to see the happy black-haired girl from earlier, apparently Sage, waving her hand at the four girls and smiling brightly. Team JNPR takes their seats, but Sage squeezes in between Jaune and Ren.

Yang wiggles her eyebrows at Jaune and Sage. "What team is she from, ladykiller~? Just like you to get a girlfriend three weeks into Beacon!"

Jaune rubs his temples in exasperation and waves a hand at Pyrrha, who is all too happy to explain how Yang is very wrong and Jaune is still single damnit. "Sage is a friend of Jaune's, she's visiting Vale and they hadn't seen each other for many years, but they were apparently wonderfully close childhood friends."

Blake wasn't surprised at how unenthused Pyrrha was at how the pair were childhood friends. There were so many relationships that started exactly like this.

Jaune clears his throat. "Yep. It's been years, but the two of us grew up together. She's, uh, also mute now. Not exactly sure why, but if she doesn't want to tell me, then whatever."

After a few moments of silence, Weiss clears her throat, trying not to be grouped in with the socially awkward nutjobs surrounding her. "Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Dust Company. It is a pleasure, Sage. May I ask what you're in Vale for?"

Sage excitedly nods, a huge grin on her face. She's short and petite, but womanly in all the right places, and Blake can't help but sneak a peek, confused at how Jaune had so many hot friends. Seriously! Sage starts signing something, which Jaune translates quickly. "'I'm here for business with a much newer, more handsome friend?!' Not possible, Sage! Not possible!"

Sage lets out a silent giggle, poking Jaune's shoulder as he pouts and Nora guffaws. Blake gives a reserved grin, but the small smile dies a cruel death as Cardin loudly starts yet another confrontation.

"Ow! That hurts! Please stop..."

The whole table of team RWBY and JNPR goes quiet and turns to look at Cardin pulling a rabbit faunus's ears.

"Ha! Told you they're real!"

"Pff, what a freak."

Cardin smirks.

Sage wipes it off his face, appearing to his side and, before he can react, grabbing the back of his neck and sending his chin directly into her knee. The whole cafeteria goes quiet at this point, and Sage twirls around, tossing Cardin like a doll into his partner and sending them both to the floor. Jaune dashes over and grabs Sage by the shoulders and whispers something to her, trying to pull her away from the confrontation before-

 ** _"_** ** _Mister Arc!"_**

Blake cowers behind her book as Goodwitch walks up to him.

"Just what do you think you're doing?! Who is this, and WHY did she just assault two students?"

Jaune looks between Sage and Miss Goodwitch, and Blake can just imagine the fear he must be experiencing. While Miss Goodwitch never seemed to scare him as much as the rest, he had basically invited in a stranger who immediately assaulted two people! Not only that, but two huntsmen in training, and rather tough ones, as well. That meant she was, at the very least as strong as them if not moreso. Jaune could be breaking the law, he could be expelled, he co-

"Not my fault," he says with a smile, hands behind his back. "For once, not me. Plus, Cardin was also assaulting someone, yeah?"

Goodwitch looks at him with a stern glare that would likely kill Blake on the spot. "As an underage student, bullying will not be tolerated but will not result in jailtime! I'll ask again, Mister Arc, who is she?"

"No clue," he says with a shrug and a smirk. "She came here claiming to be a long lost friend but I'd remember someone so hot."

Blake and the rest of her table awkwardly facepalm, not even sure of what's happening anymore. Goodwitch doesn't seem to understand either, fixing them both with a glare to melt the souls of the innocent. Thankfully, neither of the two are innocent, which only succeeds in making Miss Goodwitch angrier. **_"HEADMASTER'S OFFICE, NOW!"_**

Miss Goodwitch stomps off and both Sage and Jaune, not being suicidal, decide to follow her out of the completely silent cafeteria.

"Well, that was a thing," Yang says, unusually quiet. "I'm… suddenly glad I didn't go over there and beat Cardin to a pulp myself."

"You would've gone over there?" Blake asks, tilting her head as the cafeteria slowly becomes lively again.

"Well, I mean, duh! People who wouldn't are cowards. I-I mean, unless any of you wouldn't have!"

Weiss rolls her eyes while Ruby nods along to her big sister. "While I still believe this is not a place for those who cannot stand up for themselves, I would not allow for something so harsh to continue, either."

Blake smiles softly. "But she's a faunus?"

"That shouldn't matter," Pyrrha finally pipes up, having listened to Nora tell a story until this moment. Poor girl.

Blake smiles wider and nods. "I'm new to Vale, it's… nice to see so many accepting individuals. Where I'm from, I was one of the only humans who saw them as remotely equal…"

Yang slams her on the back playfully, and Blake does her best not to collapse. "I was worried there for a sec, Blakey! Almost thought I'd have to beat up my partner!"

"We spar, Yang… I think that's the same thing with you…"

"Ah, yeah, true dat."

Blake sighs and shakes her head, suddenly rather happy that her previous mistakes brought her here.

* * *

Jaune has been having a very bad, very good, very confusing day.

On one hand, Neo had just beaten up two really stupid huntsmen in training, getting very unwanted attention centered on him and immediately getting him quite publicly in trouble.

On the other hand, the plan is going remarkably well, and as his partner in crime attempts to trip Miss Goodwitch on the way to the elevator, Jaune has to desperately hide the smile threatening to grow on his face as Neo is slammed into the wall with telekinesis.

One down, three to go.

"Miss Politan do NOT try that again, you are already pulling your luck, young lady!"

Neo shows Miss Goodwitch her favorite finger, and Jaune holds his hand over his mouth, trying not to collapse into giggles. "S-Sage just please stop m-making a fuss! I don't know why you're pretending to know me, but enough is enough!"

* * *

Ozpin has been having a very good, very bad, very confusing day.

On one hand, Glynda had given him a stack of paperwork taller than him, and had expected him done signing them by lunch. Apparently, putting 50% of the school's budget into coffee and requesting a skirt length reduction for female uniforms had not gone over well, and Ozpin considered kindly letting Glynda go for suggesting that coffee should not even have a single percent of the budget.

On the other hand, wave a history book and a thermos of coffee in front of Bart, and he'll forge a perfect signature on every document in seconds flat. Truly, he deserved a raise, but alas, sacrifices must be made for coffee, something Bart understood with fervor. What a wonderful man.

Ozpin looks up as Glynda walks into his office, two students in tow. He didn't recognize the one with the ponytails, though. She was a bit short, perhaps she was simply from a secondary combat school, visiting? She's definitely a cute child, he'll have to look into getting her into Beacon when she matures. Cute girls make excellent huntresses for some reason.

"Miss Goodwitch, what seems to be the problem this hour?"

Glynda rolls her eyes and pushes the two students forward, Jaune awkwardly rubbing the back of his head. He… he is an interesting one indeed. Glynda glares at the two of them, before looking up to him and scowling. "Miss Sage Politan," she says, motioning to the shorter girl, "Was found assaulting two of our students. Not only is she not enrolled here, but a quick check revealed she does not have documents of any kind. Mister _Arc_ claims they don't know each other, while Miss Politan insists they do. I will call the Vale Police Department to have this investigated immediately."

"Not yet," Ozpin says with a wave of his hand. "Please, you two, sit."

Jaune quickly obliges, while Sage leans on his desk and winks at him, shimmering green eyes staring into his soul. Why is it always the women with green eyes that infatua- _irritate_ him so? Ozpin motions again, silently, for her to sit. She winks at him before finally taking her seat and fanning herself with her hand. Ozpin frowns at Glynda, assuring her that he was not just somehow cheating on her. Based on the dirty look she's giving him, she's not convinced. He's going to have to buy so much tea…

"Miss Politan. You claim to know Mister Arc here, but he has no recollection of you. Can you tell me some personal information about him?"

Sage nods quickly, beginning to sign away faster than most could understand. Ozpin is not most people. 'Yes, handsome, I can, he is my long lost brother from another mother, also another father. He found me as a baby even though I am older than him, and he was immediately in love, probably. We are arranged to be married in two weeks by my parents who Jaune knows as his own, yet not his own. Please sir, I love him, you cannot separate us and our love, I will not stand for it.'

Ozpin blinks, and based on Mister Arc's reaction (slamming his forehead repeatedly into Ozpin's desk in the hopes of going unconscious and leaving this world) the complete lack of sense in Miss Politan's story is lost on even him. "I see. Miss Politan, are you lost? The Vale Mental Hospital is rather closeby, and I can call them if you wish."

Sage shakes her head quickly, the smile never leaving her face. 'No, sir, I am not lost, for I am found. I have once more wind beneath my wings, sir.'

Ozpin nods slowly, and takes out his scroll to call the local insane asylum.

* * *

"Cindy! How wonderful to see you!"

Roman's smile strains as Cinder grabs him by the collar, sensually smiling at him with fiery eyes. Her minions behind her smirk, the silver-haired idiot pretending to cut his throat with a finger. How wonderfully charming. So few genuine criminals with _class_ these days, it's infuriating.

"Roman," Cinder whispers in her sexual voice, simply _daring_ him to pitch a tent. "Please tell me you called me here for something important?"

"What? Is it such a crime to want to see you occasionally?"

Roman's grin widens when Cinder scowls. "Roman…"

"Okay, okay! It _is_ important, Cindy! Not only have I been doing your dirty Dust collection work, but I got myself a brand new contact!"

Cinder's eyes narrow, and Roman gestures for her to take a seat in his office across from him. Her idiotic minions can stand, thank you very much. She sits, crossing her arms beneath her breasts. "I don't care about your contacts, Roman. Is that _all_?"

Roman leans forward with a smirk. "My new contact's a student at Beacon, Cindy, and he's willing to work for some stupid weapon, don't even have to pay him!"

"So, your contact's just a moronic child?"

"He got your information plan into action long before you ever could," Roman replies with a bitterness somewhat out of his normal persona.

Cinder raises an eyebrow. "And how did it go?"

"Wonderfully! My Neo ended up in an asylum, the poor dear, but it's not her first time, she'll be fine. We got everything you asked for, and months in advance!"

Cinder, somehow, almost actually manages something resembling a smile that doesn't make Roman want to gag, and she sits back in her chair, more relaxed. "Good. Have the information sent to my scroll, then, Roman. As for your contact… If he is truly worthwhile, then I could have need of his services again. Have him meet with me for further work. _Privately_. I need to _ensure_ his loyalty before so much as _uttering_ what he needs to do next."

Roman frowns and lights a cigar, shaking his head in what would likely have been guilt, long ago. The poor kid's going to have to deal with Cinder now, too. Less work on his end, at least, so he'll take the small mercies where he can get them. "I'll tell him."

"Good. How comes the Dust, then? I trust your small failure weeks ago was the _only_ mistake you've made?"

 _Yeah, besides ever deciding to work with you._ Roman sighs, putting on a smirk. "Please, Cindy, have you seen the amounts I've been bringing in? Dust prices have skyrocketed, huntsmen have less and less to work with, and even the damn Police Department is struggling! Though, I'm guessing that's not why you're wanting it all, hm?"

"Don't ask questions, dear Roman, just get results. You have not disappointed me yet, but you are not safe until we have what we need. Keep going."

Roman takes a long drag from his cigar and nods, trying not to grimace. "Yeah, yeah…"

Cinder nods, standing and leading her minions out of the room.

Roman sighs and takes an even longer drag from his cigar, silently hoping it might kill him. "The things I do for Lien…"

He takes out his scroll and looks to the strings of images and files sent from Neo, shaking his head. Everything the headmaster of Beacon would have on his scroll, in his hand. Why would Cinder need a list of students? Semblances? Notes and grades and portfolios?

The better question, _what did Jaune just get himself into?_


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's notes here!**

 **Nobody mentioned the joke I wrote about Ruby confusing the word sardonic with sardines ;(**

 **I'm so so thankful for all the reviews I've gotten, critical and positive alike! As for why Jaune isn't** ** _more_** **of a sociopathic bully, I wanted to avoid the immediate cliché that he might have fallen into. Fanfictions like Blood Rose are great, but what I want here is the struggle between the Jaune we know, and the natural lack of emotion that he feels.**

 **He wants to be a hero, but if working with Torchwick is not only fun, but will allow him to get a new weapon against the Grimm? He'd be an idiot not to accept, right? As long as none of his friends die, then it's a worthy sacrifice! Heroes are all about sacrifice, after all, but self-sacrifice feels like a waste to him. What good is a hero if they're dead?**

 **I also want to apologize for the short chapters! I've been remarkably busy and haven't had as much time as I'd like, so I want to get chapters out somewhat quickly, meaning they'll have to be a bit short. Anyway, I'm rambling. Please enjoy, and leave a review! If you get thoroughly in-depth with your reviews, I will sometimes respond over Private Messaging! I'm always looking to improve and meet others that enjoy writing about RWBY!**

 **(Shoutout to** **Cun** **who is a big inspiration for one of my stories and actually left a review omg)**

* * *

 **Chapter 9**

 **Information**

* * *

Blake sighs, closing the book and setting it down in front of her. She had finally finished it.

 _The Man with Two Souls._

A man, cursed, became a warzone for two opposite souls, a battle for control of his body. One soul, bitter and sadistic, felt a need for the man to be above everyone else. The soul sent the man a rush of adrenaline with every insult he threw, and excited him whenever he became violent. The other soul, kind and bright, wanted the man to love, and to help. It gave him guilt, but it also fed him compliments for being caring. The man's experiences changed the battle, constantly leaning one way or the other, but never truly defeating the other.

Blake sighs and shuts her eyes, putting the book away.

In the end, it was just one event that decided the victor.

* * *

Brilliant golden hair shimmers in the low-lit room, a heavy boot slamming on the floor as a loud beat floors the audience, the blond man clad in armor leaning back and letting the guitar solo loose, letting his emotions flow.

 _"_ _LET'S JUST LIVE!"_

A second golden-haired rock star slams against the man, a microphone held up dramatically as she leans on him.

 _"_ _Just one day, let's forget about our problems! Let's fall in love with life and just be free!"_

The two stars, in perfect harmony, point out at their audience with pure, furious determination in their eyes.

 _"_ _The sun will never fade… The night won't steal our day!"_

Fists reach for the sky as the two come to a final and passionate resolution.

 _"_ _Let's dance and laugh and love and let's just live!"_

Jaune and Yang, back to back, finish the song, Yang significantly more out of breath than Jaune but still managing to look damn good. Jaune smiles smugly as Nora jumps up on stage with Ren over her shoulder like a doll. "Move, move!"

Yang snorts, tossing the microphone over to the excitable redhead and stepping down beside her friend. "Karaoke night was the best idea!"

Weiss scoots away from the sweaty blondes as they sit on the same couch as her. "Hmph. My singing capabilities have been thoroughly tested already, thank you very much! I'm sure you'll find some of _my_ songs on there, you know."

"My air guitar skills were stellar, though," Jaune responds with total seriousness, Yang nodding in agreement.

Ruby leans over to whisper loudly, "He's got ya there Weiss."

"S-shut up, you dolt!"

Pyrrha, Blake and Jaune share a knowing, exasperated smile as Weiss starts loudly arguing with Ruby over nothing important. Jaune stretches, standing up and moving to sit next to Pyrrha. He leans over to her, whispering.

"They act like an old married couple."

Pyrrha giggles softly. "What does that make Nora and Ren, then?"

"Oh, I dunno, childhood friends turned lov-"

Jaune is interrupted by Nora slamming him in the face with the microphone.

 _One of these days, Nora, bang_ _, zoom, straight to the moon…_

* * *

Jaune reels back, pain shooting up his spine as he falls against something solid. His eyes burn as tears flow down his red cheeks, and his vision starts to fade as he wheezes and coughs. He sniffles as memories of friends long gone come back to haunt him. He can even hear her voice, her beautiful, silken voice, the blonde that stole his frozen, icy heart…

"Stop being so melodramatic, Vomit Boy."

"I-If this is it… Just know I always had a thing for Weiss…"

Jaune sneezes, smiling weakly at the Ice Queen's horrified expression in his periphery. Forever Fall, a wonderful chance to explore and bond with teams, and Jaune was suffering more than he had intended to. Apparently, the delicious sap that Nora devoured by the gallon caused a severe allergic reaction for Jaune. How… delightfully par for the course.

Nora finally notices her leader's sorry state and swings into action, jumping into the trees above Jaune and promptly falling as the thin branches crumble beneath her. She lands beside Jaune, and, before anyone can question her, she scoops the blond up into a fireman's carry, jogging off with an apologetic Ren close behind.

"Their team seems fun…" Ruby mutters to herself, glancing at her now fuming partner, then Blake, already finished with her job and reading.

"We can be fun, too!" Yang cries, crushing Ruby with a hug. "We… we can… have a sleepover!"

"We all sleep in the same room," Blake replies, flipping a page.

"Yeah but we can play games!"

"That sounds horrid," Weiss retorts with her arms crossed, looking over her combat skirt and making sure she didn't get any sap on it.

Ruby, moments from suffocation, merely pats Yang's shoulder comfortingly.

Yang's eyes start to water. "J-Jaune's team is more fun than ours! OURS, sis! W-we could have been the coolest, most – most active team with parties! PARTIES!"

Yang wails dramatically, Blake rubs her temples, Weiss pouts against a tree, and Ruby passes out.

…

Pyrrha, though partially (completely) amused, frowns and jogs after her partner once the dramatic display by RWBY was over. His allergies _were_ rather severe, and she wouldn't want their very first trip outside of Beacon to be so terrible…

Jaune lifts his head from the stream, taking his first clean breath again. Pyrrha sits beside him, patting his back as he gasps for air that is coming much easier now.

"R-remind me to never trust Nora again."

"I had thought that to be obvious, Jaune."

Jaune sighs and rubs his wet but clean face. "Yeah…"

Pyrrha giggles quietly to herself, about to say something when Nora splashes out of the stream, drenched and laughing happily. "That was fun! We should go swimming more! Once, I had a dream that-"

Ren walks up with all four jars, sighing and sitting beside Pyrrha. "You may only continue, Nora, if you agree not to eat any more sap."

"AWWWWW but it was such a good story Renny!"

"Which is why you may tell it, if you don't eat any more of our sap. We need it for the mission."

Nora slumps, falling onto her belly beside Ren and whining into the grass. "Fiiiiiiiiine. You better PROMISE to make the best pancakes ever when we get back!"

"When do I not?" Ren replies with a small smile.

"That's true! Heh, Renny, you're so smaaart!"

Jaune shakes his head while Pyrrha smiles at her group of lively, adorable misfits. So lively, in fact, is the group that none but Jaune notice the snickering team of boys strolling out of the treeline behind the four. Jaune doesn't have the time to react as a jar of sap slams against his back, shattering. Pyrrha gasps and Nora spins around, but the buzzing has already started, and that dark cloud rushing towards Jaune doesn't seem friendly.

Jaune immediately jumps into the stream, while Pyrrha stands up and takes out her weapon, chasing after the boys once they realized that Jaune's two female teammates could separate their top and bottom halves rather easily. Nora roars and chases close behind Pyrrha, yelling something about broken legs, while Ren frowns and makes sure Jaune just doesn't drown.

Then Ren remembers the buzzing, and the pile of jars he'd been holding, and how some of it had spilled on him while he was chasing Nora...

* * *

Glynda rubs her temples, looking at the two drenched teenagers each being hugged with reckless abandon by their partners in the airship, then over to the heavily bruised team Cardinal. She scowls at the already terrified team. "I hope you know that all four of you will have two weeks detention after you're out of the infirmary."

Cardin, still nursing his jaw that had been forcibly popped back into place, just nods, while Nora sticks her tongue out at him. Glynda turns her scowl to the two girls, who immediately cower. "And you two should not have retaliated so strongly. This is a combat school, but you must show professionalism in these scenarios. You are simply lucky I arrived before any limbs were torn off."

Nora grumbles something under her breath, but Ren elbows her softly and nods to the Professor, calmly deciding to speak up. "I apologize for forcing you to escort us back to Beacon early, Professor."

"Nonsense," Glynda responds with a wave of her hand. "Honestly, your Headmaster was so intent on me coming here that I had no time to finish my paperwork. Professor Port and Professor Peach can look after the others, since _I'm sure_ nobody else will be causing any trouble now that team Cardinal has provided an example."

Sky Lark faints at the sight of the glare, and Jaune gulps, holding on to Pyrrha tightly and mockingly shivering. It's a sarcastic action, as always, but Pyrrha's blush takes after Pyrrha herself, and doesn't give up _that_ easily.

The airship lurches to a stop, Jaune just barely managing to prevent his insides from becoming outsides all over the beautiful woman beside him. He is out of the ship first, falling onto his hands and knees and crawling to his best friend.

"I've missed you, old buddy…" Jaune whispers to the trash can, tears in his eyes.

"Is he always like this?" Glynda asks the rest of Team Juniper, who all nod in unison. "…My sincerest apologies."

* * *

Jaune smiles, stepping out into the cold night with a skip in his step. Roman's boss wants to meet him! _Privately!_ That can only mean good things! Or death, but mostly good things! He doubts any of Roman's lackeys would normally have a private meeting with his boss, given that up until recently Jaune didn't know Roman had one.

He's moving up the ranks, and all because of his position at Beacon…

Oh, to have subordinates. _Underlings._

Jaune giggles, _GIGGLES_ at the thought, before covering his mouth and looking around the empty courtyard. Beacon, nearly midnight on a Saturday, was thankfully sparsely populated. Most would either be out getting drunk or sleeping. Jaune smiles, looking down at his scroll and thanking all that is holy nobody heard him. That would be... embarrassing to say the least.

He walks to Vale, something he wouldn't have considered possible due to the number of students taking airships, but it turns out there's a nice trek to the city! It takes him a while, and he gets lost halfway, but he makes it just before midnight. He checks the time, smiles again, and walks into a shop for bikers, by bikers. His ears only minorly bleed at the loud country music playing in the shop.

"'Ey," a tall bearded man greets him, clad in a leather vest and looking so stereotypical it's almost funny.

Jaune waves slightly, and walks through the small shop, looking at the variety of gear ranging from clothes to repair kits to even some Dust made for spicing up your engines. Possibly your sex life too, but Jaune wasn't about to judge. He smirks at the large selection, collecting up what he needed with a grin on his face.

When he sets foot out of the store, he is wearing a jet-black leather jacket, with boots and a full motorcycle helmet to match. The stupid grin still on his face, he puts the helmet under his armpit and strolls through Vale, searching the dark yet still somehow crowded streets for the address he was given.

"You're late," a masculine and sarcastic voice says behind him, making him jump. Swiveling, Jaune is face to face with a smirking boy only a few years older than himself, with silver hair and an outfit to match. "You got lost, didn't you?"

"Uh… Possibly…" Jaune responds, rubbing the back of his head. "Roman didn't exactly give me time to get ready."

The boy with silver hair scoffs, crossing his arms and walking into a nearby alley. Jaune isn't stupid, and follows after him quietly. He doesn't ask questions, even as the boy opens a door Jaune hadn't even seen, and is nearly pushed inside. Jaune frowns and steps in before the boy can make a fool of him, though, and looks around the dark hallway. No guards.

That means that the boy behind him is skilled enough to take him without trouble. Jaune gulps, moving forward before the boy pushes past him and leads him once more. The smell of mold and a damp cold makes Jaune shudder slightly at just how dirty this building seems, and at how nondescript it seemed from the outside. If this was what a criminal life was like, then maybe, just maybe, it wasn't for him.

Jaune's eyes shine as the boy opens a door and everything changes. Bright, almost warm wooden floors, with shining walls and an ornately decorated ceiling, each wall thick with soundproofing to drown out the constant sounds of chatter from the large number of guests, and completely full of slot machines, roulette tables, and even a bar to put Junior's to shame.

"I need to memorize this address," Jaune whispers to himself in awe. The boy beside him sneers and bumps shoulders with him, then leads him to a back room as Jaune marvels at the illegal casino around him.

 _"_ _Jaune."_

Said boy tenses at the unexpected use of his name the moment he steps foot into the private room. The silver-haired boy smirks at him, leaning over to him. "Good luck. You'll need it."

The boy walks out and slams the door behind him, leaving Jaune to stare with apprehension at a beautiful woman sitting on a black couch, legs crossed and a glass of wine in her hand. Jaune suddenly remembers how he finds women who could kill him with ease extremely attractive, and is glad his jacket is long enough to cover his groin. Something tells him _it_ would have been cut off, otherwise.

Jaune stays silent out of both fear and respect, going over things he could say and quickly realizing that silence is indeed the correct answer. He moves further into the small yet warmly lit room and sits in the comfortable chair across from the gorgeous woman who has the most nefarious criminal in Vale under her command.

"How wonderful to see Roman's favorite _partners_ both prefer silence… I am Cinder Fall, I have heard about your situation, Jaune Arc."

Jaune nods quickly, trying to forcefully make himself more confident. "It's a pleasure, Miss Fall. I'd be happy to help in any way I can."

Cinder smiles seductively, leaning back and taking a long sip of her wine. "Delightful to hear. Please, call me Cinder…"

Jaune grins and nods, calming down. "Alright, Cinder. What do you need from me?"

Cinder's fiery eyes shimmer, sending a shiver up the boy's spine. "Call it a test, if you will. Two jobs, successful or otherwise, barely accounts for your extended loyalty, Jaune… I'm simply curious as to why a student at a school for heroes would willingly work for Roman Torchwick himself."

"Well, for starters, he offered me a completely custom weapon. He hasn't finished it yet, but once he does, it'll give me an edge that I'd prefer. Too many martyrs-in-training ignore the advantages they could be given, y'know? Plus… I read the information Neo got for you, too. I know what it says about me, and I'm _sure_ you've already read it."

Cinder smiles, fluttering her long eyelashes and moving an empty wine glass across the table between the two. Despite the seemingly relaxed atmosphere from the two, the tension in the room skyrockets. She pours the wine herself, then refills her glass, taking a sip to show that it's not poisoned, something Jaune appreciates. "Please, have a drink, Jaune."

He smiles and nods in thanks, taking the glass of dark red wine and taking a sip. He blinks, setting it back down on the table with a somewhat surprised expression. He doesn't get to say anything, though, as Cinder continues talking before he can.

"I could give you more than just a new weapon, Jaune, but I'm sure you are aware of that."

Jaune nods quickly. "Honestly, though, Lien isn't that important to me. Some payment on the side helps, of course, but gear and training is what I want more than anything else right now."

"Training can be arranged far above that of Beacon's petty standards, I assure you."

Jaune grins. "Great! Only once I get my new weapon, of course."

Cinder nods, her smile slowly fading as she falsely relaxes. "I see you've met Mercury."

Jaune tilts his head in confusion. "The one with the grey hair?"

Cinder nods with a slow sigh. "Mercury and his partner are not to get their hands dirty while here in Vale."

"And I assume I'm to dirty my hands instead, then?"

"I suppose that is my question to you, Jaune. How much are you willing to do for me…"

Cinder takes the large package from beside her and sets it on the table, opening it to reveal a large and brilliant white gunsheathe, with five separate hilts jutting out from one end, differentiated by colorful stripes along each pommel. "…With rewards like this?"

Jaune blinks, eyes wide at the weapon in front of him. He looks up, cold blue eyes meeting fiery amber.

 _"_ _Anything."_


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's notes here!**

 **I've gotten some good critiques about my transitions in the story, and so I'm going to try to fix it! Basically, there will be less jumping around and such... or at least I'll try. It won't be perfect, w** ** **riting so many characters and scenarios and plots at once is difficult ;-;** Just to be clear, though, at the beginning of usually every chapter will be a little section dedicated to small ideas I've had. Usually they foreshadow events in the future or show some of Jaune's alternate upbringing in this AU. Sometimes though, they get pretty abstract, and can show things that may have been, or ideas I had once had planned for this fanfiction before scrapping them.**

 **ANYWAY, IMPORTANT:**

 **I want your opinions. I have two different branching storylines planned out for this story. Without spoiling much, one is a more heroic route (though still being the anti-hero type of character), while the other is more of an evil route (with all of the** ** _edginess_** **). I want to know from you guys what you want to see, so let me know! ^^ Thanks!**

* * *

 **Chapter 10**

 **Business**

* * *

"Why do you think you were made leader, Jaune?"

Jaune scratches his cheek quietly, eyes focused on nothing as he thinks. "Well, I always figured it was to make the team names fit the color rule."

"Well, I suppose that is one reason, yes!" Doctor Oobleck admits with a small smile, darting over to the chalkboard in the empty classroom, taking a quick sip of his mug. "I myself cannot think of any appropriate team names, but I am not Ozpin!"

Doctor Oobleck begins writing, the poor chalk wasting away as his arms blur across the board. Various qualities were quickly listed, such as valor, strength, spirit, and loyalty. "Tell me, Jaune, what do these qualities create?"

"Huntsmen."

Oobleck nods. "Yes, Jaune, but more specifically – or perhaps more broadly – it makes heroes!"

"Okay…? That still doesn't help…" Jaune replies, rubbing the back of his head. "I don't have many of those traits."

"You will learn them in time, I am sure, but that is unimportant. These behaviors, _traits_ , they form wonderful huntsmen and huntresses who will learn to make the world a better place."

Oobleck then writes a second set of words, such as sacrifice, pride, bias, and gullibility. "With every positive trait, Jaune, there is a negative. Many heroes can make for incredible leaders, but the decisions that are to be made as a leader are not always easy. To save a village, while also risking one of your own lives? These choices, and their consequences, have led to almost every mistake in history."

Jaune sighs, pushing his hand through his blond hair in exasperation. "I do feel empathy, you know. It's not much, but it's enough to make your reasoning flawed."

"As with every mental illness, there is a scale, Jaune! I am merely explaining that, in some ways, you are better suited to leadership! Of course, Psychology was only a minor of mine, and I had several minors, and I may have only skirted through it with all Cs, but no matter!"

Jaune pinches the bridge of his nose in pure exasperation.

* * *

Roman Torchwick often considers himself a humble gentleman, despite many of his former employees saying otherwise. Why, he's the humblest, kindest person he has ever met! Only fools would think otherwise, and obviously he's surrounded by _plenty_ of them. Animals, kids, a woman he despises…

 _What is this, a divorce?_

Ha, that's a good one, he'd have to find a chance to use that later.

Roman sighs and shakes his head as he leans back against a crate of dust, impatiently tapping his cane to the floor of the dark, bustling warehouse. "Let's move it fellas! There's more Dust where this came from, and you all make _such_ great pack mules, no offense to any actual mules, of course!"

Roman smirks as the grumbling White Fang lackeys start to pick up the pace. Such useful muscle, really. As soon as Roman allows himself to relax, though, the roaring of an approaching motorcycle makes him freeze. He pulls out his scroll and reads the date. Shit, _that_ was today, wasn't it?

"Roman!"

Suppressing a victorious chuckle, Roman puts on a practiced smirk and stands, leaning on his cane and looking to the voice. "Kid! _Love_ the new outfit!"

Jaune grins, walking up to Roman with his leather jacket and boots, his motorcycle helmet in one hand. "Thanks! I figured that I wouldn't be recognized with the helmet on. Clever, eh?"

" _Very_ ," Roman says, trying his very best not to sound sarcastic. He fails. "So, how'd it go? Give me all the little details!"

Jaune smirks, putting his hands on his hips. "Apparently, I've been told to clean up one of your messes, Roman! That must feel rough, huh?"

Roman moves one hand to his heart and the other behind his back, leaning to one side with a grin. "And here I thought Cindy was on my side. I'm hurt!"

"Even you aren't that naïve, Roman. I'm wondering though," Jaune said with a small smile, tapping his chin in mock thought. "Since we're both working for the same person now, does that make us equals?"

"Not a chance, kid," Roman replies immediately, poking Jaune in the chest with his cane. "It's a nice thought, though, eh?"

Jaune chuckles and replies with so much sarcasm Roman has to bite back a guffaw. "Yeah, yeah, I guess so. I could never be on the level of _the_ Roman Torchwick, now could I?"

"Ha! Smarter than the lot of these animals at least, kid."

Jaune grins, looking around the dark warehouse and the busy White Fang grunts. Roman's eyes narrow as he studies Jaune's face for his reaction to seeing the terrorist group. _Amusement._ "Speaking of, Cinder's got you working with the White Fang? She didn't tell me that!"

"Yeah, she has a habit of not telling people things, kid, best to get used to it now."

"We all keep secrets, Roman!" Jaune says with an overly obvious wink.

Roman responds with a soft chuckle, moving back to rest against a large crate. "Speaking of, mind explaining this job of yours?"

"Tukson's Book Trade, apparently. Wasn't told anything about it, except the guy up front needs to die."

Roman scoffs, twirling his cane. "That's what she wants you to do? Didn't think that was a problem. Tukson's an animal like the rest of these," He says, waving towards the criminals around them. "Heard he's got claws."

"What, like a puma?"

Roman shrugs and lights a cigar casually, eyes narrowing in thought. So, Tukson's still a problem? Why wasn't he told about it? Sure, he's been busy stealing every speck of Dust in the kingdom, but making some inexperienced _kid_ do it? "What's the reward?"

"Oh, I got it in advance," Jaune says with a small smile and a look that Roman knows meant he'd been hoping for that question. Without another word, Jaune reaches into his heavy jacket and pulls out a long white sheathe. Roman recognizes it instantly, and he bites down on the cigar still in his mouth.

"That bitch… Now I have nothing to give you, eh?" Roman asks with a bitter tone, leaning against the crate further.

Jaune shrugs, attaching the long sheathe to his hip. "I'd have expected your boss to treat you better. She treats me _swell_!"

"Just wait kid," he says, waving his finger. "Just wait until she has something on you, something that means you can't back out anymore. She won't treat you too _swell_ after that. Video footage of you killing Tukson, for example."

"Oh, I'm aware," the kid replies with a sly grin. "That _is_ why I'm here, Roman."

Roman smiles, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Yes, it is. Thanks for that, by the way."

"No problem," Jaune responds with a chuckle, rubbing the back of his head. "Loyalty is not exactly my strong suit. Still, though, the both of you are putting an awful lot of trust in me."

Roman scoffs, taking a long drag from his cigar before blowing it in a White Fang soldier's face. "A kid at Beacon Academy that isn't full of himself or stupid enough to run his mouth, but also willing to work with criminals? You're not exactly the run-of-the-mill _minion_ , you know."

"What can I say? I'm just too unique."

"Okay, so maybe you _are_ full of yourself," Roman amends with a small smirk.

"Are you proud, fathah?" Jaune asks him in a child's voice.

Roman snorts and almost coughs on cigar smoke. "Kid, we need to hang out sometime."

"Only when mommy stops making you work so hard."

Roman shakes his head and sighs. "Yeah… What do you think she even needed with that information, kid?"

Jaune rubs the back of his head, frowning. "Well, Rose interrupted one of your robberies, but I doubt that was the entire point. That's why I'm with you, not her, Roman. It's just…"

"It feels like there's something bigger going on," Roman finishes, shaking his cigar softly and sighing. "I know, kid, I know. Apparently the both of us are going to have an important part to play in Phase 2."

"Phase 2? I don't like the sound of that."

"Yeah, as if all of my work up until now is just some kind of set up? Still, I haven't gotten the details yet."

"Makes you think, though," Jaune replies, tapping the crate behind him. "Obviously the White Fang needs all this Dust, and the robberies skyrocket Dust prices, but they aren't moving it out of the kingdom. Just… around, to avoid police. Like they're just stalling, either until you steal enough or 'Phase 2' gets started… maybe both. Is the White Fang going to strike Vale? It'd be the start of a war."

Roman nods. "Seems like it, kid. One thing's for sure, I'm glad for now we're on the winning side."

Jaune squints. "But are we?"

Roman raises an eyebrow silently, and watches as Jaune looks around the room. "All I'm saying, Roman, is that this is bigger than us. You know that, obviously. We have important parts in Phase 2, apparently, but what about after that? If that's where our importance ends…?"

Roman nods, sighing and inspecting his cane. "This is why I work with Neo, kid, you talk too much."

"I find it endearing," Jaune replies nonchalantly.

"Truly charming, yes, how you can talk about betrayal in front of Roman Torchwick himself," Roman drawls, rolling his eyes. "I have a plan, kid. For right now, things are good! Great, even! I get to order cannon fodder around while sitting pretty on a mountain of Lien, kid, and let me tell you, that's the best feeling in the world."

"Funny," Jaune says with a smirk, "It seemed to me we're the cannon fodder for Cinder's mountain, actually."

Roman looks down at his cigar with a grimace. "Yeah, you and Neo would get along great…"

"She not a fan of another woman stealing her boy toy?"

Roman laughs, brought out of his darker thoughts rather quickly. "You know she'd gruesomely murder you for saying that."

Jaune shrugs, "I'm a liar and a thief, but I'm not a liar."

Roman rolls his eyes.

* * *

Tukson sighs, hefting up a large pile of books needing to be sorted. He nearly drops them in surprise when the sound of the bell ringing comes from the front of his shop. He quickly makes his way back out to the counter, setting down the pile in a huff. Looking up, he finally notices the state of the shop, with the windows dark and the sign set to 'closed.' In front of him stands a tall blond man in a leather jacket with a bitter expression on his face.

"Uh…"

"Tukson," the man starts, putting on a small smile. "Heard you were wanting to leave."

Tukson glances to an upper corner of the shop, where there's a security camera. His hope fades when he notices it already destroyed. "What do you want from me?"

"Oh, I'll get to that. You do know why I'm here, after all."

Tukson narrows his eyes, glaring and taking a step back, noting the large weapon on the man's hip. "I do."

"Actually," the blond says casually, rubbing the back of his head. "I don't think you do. See, I'm _supposed_ to kill you, but…"

Tukson raises an eyebrow, eyes wide.

"A _friend_ and I have come to an arrangement. We want what you know of the White Fang."

* * *

"'Welcome to Vale', huh? Original, I guess." Jaune deadpans, looking up at a sign in the street. The rest of his team stands behind him, but Nora bonks him on the head.

"Don't be a spoilsport Jauney! We get to FIGHT these people, break some limbs!"

Ren walks over and puts a hand on Nora's shoulder. "In the arena, Nora. Not out here."

"I knoooow, I was just saying, we should be excited!"

"I agree," Pyrrha says with a cheerful smile.

Jaune rolls his eyes but smiles regardless. "Alright, alright. Ren, don't you and Nora have panc-"

Before he can even finish the word, realization strikes Nora, and Ren's eyes narrow in betrayal. In a blur, Nora drags Ren out of sight, giggling maniacally.

"Oops," Jaune says, rubbing the back of his head and smirking. He turns to Pyrrha, chuckling awkwardly. The redhead smiles at him politely, dressed in a cute red hoodie with Pumpkin Pete on the front and khaki shorts. Jaune tries not to look at her gorgeous, toned legs. "Well, uh, I was considering us going with them, but I don't know which place Nora's kidnapping Ren to, so uh… Want to go eat somewhere?"

Pyrrha smiles brightly, clasping her hands together. "I'd love to, Jaune. Where would you like to go?"

Jaune taps his chin and starts to walk, with Pyrrha close behind. "Not sure. Any ideas?"

"Perhaps somewhere Mistralian?" She politely asks.

"Homesick?" Jaune inquires, slowing his pace dramatically.

"No, no, I simply enjoy that food slightly more." Pyrrha's stomach rumbles loudly and her face goes red as Jaune suppresses a laugh.

"Right, right, well then, onwards, I know just the place!" Jaune exclaims dramatically, speeding up just a bit and smiling at Pyrrha's cheery giggle. The two end up in front of a small shop advertising a sale on Mistralian foods due to the new students. Jaune looks over to Pyrrha with a big grin, but is surprised to find it not returned. Pyrrha is looking at the shop with a small frown, and when Jaune follows her gaze, he notices that she's looking right at a large poster of herself. Apparently the shop is also advertising many of her own merchandise due to her participating in the Vytal Festival soon.

"You okay, Pyr?" Jaune hesitantly asks. _Please no life story no life story no life story-_

Pyrrha's smile comes back, but Jaune immediately recognizes how forced it is. Strangely, Jaune doesn't feel the intense pang of anger that he feels when Ruby does the same. "I am alright, Jaune! Would you like to eat here?"

Jaune rubs the back of his head and frowns. "I mean, we can find somewhere else. I think you're hungrier than I am right now."

Pyrrha moves to deny him, but is interrupted by her grumbling stomach. She blushes and pouts cutely, making Jaune chuckle softly and pat her shoulder. "Okay, Jaune, let's eat here."

"Can do!" He exclaims with a thumbs-up, opening the door to the small shop for her and immediately noting the intense smells. He'd never say it out loud to his mother, but he quite honestly adores food from Mistral more than her cooking. Wiping drool from his face, he follows Pyrrha up to the counter.

"Oh my!" The woman behind the counter exclaims with a practiced smile, "Thank you for choosing East Winds, Miss Nikos! How can I help you?"

Pyrrha's smile strains, but she motions to Jaune, who is currently trying not to make some kind of sarcastic remark about the name of the shop. "He and I would like a table not by the window, please."

The woman nods and leads them to a table, with a few costumers looking on in envy at Jaune being alone with Pyrrha Nikos in the flesh. Jaune is mainly just annoyed at the attention, especially so when the waitress approaches them quickly, ignoring the rest of the shop. "Hello, I'm Mist, here to serve you. You're a lucky man, to be with such a skilled huntress-in-training! Would you two like drinks?"

The two order drinks quickly, and Jaune rubs his temples silently as the two are finally left alone. Pyrrha frowns at this, and clears her throat. "Jaune, I hope you know I'm just happy to be your friend and partner."

Jaune raises an eyebrow. "Well yeah, of course. I mean, do you want me to treat you like the rest of those dopes, Miss Nikos?"

Pyrrha blushes and waves her hands around, looking rather flustered for once. "No, no! I just don't want everyone to pressure you into treating me like that!"

"Pfft," Jaune snorts, shaking his head. "Pyr, you and I both know there's more to you than that tournament shebang."

"You have such a way with words," Pyrrha mutters quietly, quickly blushing in embarrassment.

Jaune blinks. "Did… Did you just tease me?"

"I, uh, I don't mean any offense!" Pyrrha quickly flusters as Jaune stares incredulously at her. Her panic quickly fades into further embarrassment as Jaune guffaws loud enough to draw the entire shop's attention, had it not already been on him.

"W-wow! I'm rubbing off on you! _Pyrrha_ , teasing _me_ , Yang and I are such bad influences!"

Pyrrha giggles uncontrollably, a hand over her mouth as the waitress sets down their drinks. She calms, red in the face and sniffling, before the two order their food.

"Jaune… Thank you for everything."

"No prob, Pyr," Jaune replies happily, grinning. "But I've got to thank you too, this isn't a one-sided thing."

Pyrrha smiles, but before she can respond, both of their scrolls vibrate. Sharing a worried glance, they both check to see a new group message to all of Team JNPR.

 _Ruby Rose - [Blake ran away last night and she's still not back, could you guys be on the lookout? Thanks!]_

Pyrrha frowns. "Oh my! That's not good. Should-"

 _Nora Valkyrie – [Yes ma'am!]_

"Should we-"

 _Nora Valkyrie – [Renny and I will look!]_

Pyrrha sighs. "Should we look-"

 _Nora Valkyrie – [I'm sure Jaune n Pyrrha will look too!]_

Jaune snickers, but Pyrrha tries one last time. "Sh-"

 _Nora Valkyrie – [Or we'll break their legs!]_

Pyrrha sputters while Jaune chuckles loudly. "Yes, we should look too Pyrrha, but after food."

Pyrrha, red in the face from frustration and embarrassment, nods and softly giggles. Jaune shakes his head and chuckles, leaning back in his seat.

"Thanks though, Pyr, for coming with me. Today's going to be a good day, I can feel it!"


End file.
